A member of an underground drilling crew was fatally wounded in a worksite accident in Volusia County on Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred when the victim, identified as 61-year-old Orlando resident Lea Marshall Brunson, began replacing a drill head in the area of State Road 415 and Pioneer Trail, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
VCSO stated that an initial investigation revealed that “the drill shank rotated due to torque build-up.” This caused the chain wrench of the drill to “break free,” and it struck Brunson in the head.
Brunson was reportedly wearing a hard hat at the time of the accident. However, the force of the strike dented his hard hat, resulting in the fatal head injury.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified of the incident, which remains under investigation, according to VCSO.
No further details were provided by the sheriff’s office.