Man Killed After Hot Asphalt Spills Out of Dump Truck

A private contractor in Mississippi was killed in a freak accident when he was fatally buried under hot asphalt. Per the AP, the man was trying to fix a dump truck on Monday morning in Jackson and had scooted underneath the vehicle to work on a hydraulic line, according to local authorities. As he toiled away, the tailgate of the truck suddenly opened, dumping the scalding asphalt on top of him, according to a statement from the Jackson Police Department.

"It appeared to be some type of malfunction with his dump truck," says Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, per NBC News. "My prayers, condolences, thoughts, my heart goes out to his family," Wade added, calling the situation "horrific." The deceased man was identified by the Hinds County coronoer as 41-year-old Darrell Sheriff, per WLBT. Sheriff's death has been classified as accidental, although an investigation continues. (More Mississippi stories.)