A work-related accident in Adair County today claimed the life of a 22-year-old Russell County man.
On Monday, June 20, 2022 at 12:20pmCT, Adair County Sheriff Josh Brockman was dispatched to a reported male being struck by a utility pole and was unresponsive. The caller advised they were out KY 768 east but could not give an exact location and contact was lost. Adair 911 Dispatchers were able to ping the phones location and get responders going in the right direction.
The work crew was located 2.6 miles out KY 768 near the KY 92 intersection. 22-year-old Joseph Hayden Robertson of Jamestown, KY was deceased upon Sheriff Brockman's arrival and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The preliminary investigation reveals that Robertson, along with another crew member, was attempting to unload a 30ft utility pole. The poles vary in size with an approximate weight of 900-1200 lbs. The crew was part of A&C Communications Corperation, a business out of Cumberland County, KY who specializes in utilities. The company was working on setting out utility poles to be installed at a later date. During the attempt to unload the pole, it got away from them. The pole struck Robertson in the head and chest area, pinning him to the blacktop roadway.
The investigation is ongoing by Sheriff Josh Brockman who was assisted on scene by Adair EMS, the Columbia-Adair County Fire Dept, and Adair County Coroner Todd Akin.