Mississippi Man Dies After Being 'Buried Under Hot Asphalt' While Trying to 'Fix' Dump Truck: 'Horrific'

A man in Mississippi has died after being "buried under hot asphalt" in what police have called a "tragic" accident.

On Monday, Nov. 4 at around 10:30 a.m. local time, Jackson Police Department (JPD) officers were called to AJ Materials, located in the 1000 block of E. McDowell Road, Chief Joseph Wade said in a press conference shared on Facebook.

"Upon arrival, they located a individual who had been buried under a hot asphalt," Wade told reporters of the man, who is believed to be a private contractor. 

“It appeared to be some type of malfunction with his dump truck, the vehicle that he was there to pick up asphalt with," the police chief explained, adding that as the man tried to "fix" the vehicle, it "unloaded" the hot material "onto him."

Per the Associated Press the man has been identified as Darrell Sheriff. He was 41.

Calling the incident "horrific" and "tragic," Wade said in the press conference that his "heart goes out to his family."

He told reporters that he'd spoken to some family members at the scene who had said the contractor was "a good man, a hard-working man."

"Such a horrific, horrific situation that happened and transpired here this morning," Wade said, sharing that the man's family members were "hurt" and "traumatized and rightfully so."

The police chief confirmed an investigation was ongoing, but added that "it appears to be an accidental death at this particular time."

“There was some individuals on scene who tried to help him,” Wade recalled in the conference. “They said he tried to fight to make it through those injuries, but they were just too enormous for him to survive.”

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“With the holidays coming up, to lose this gentleman, who was out here just trying to make a living,” the officer told reporters. “They’re really hurt, but we’re going to be here to support them and uplift them in prayer."

When asked what it was like working on such an incident, Wade said, "It was horrific. It was horrifying, and it's something that you do not want to see." 

"Seeing him was one thing, but actually talking to the family members and their hurt, their pain, their shock... this Monday morning, people are just going to work, they don't want to hear about a family member who has lost his life, as they stated to me, just simply trying to make a living," he added.

Jackson Police Department didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.