Death hits city hard, chief says

Published 5:00 am Friday, April 15, 2005

Authorities continued to investigate a dozer accident thatclaimed the life of Brookhaven Departmental Coordinator JimmyFurlow on Thursday morning at the city landfill.

Police Chief Pap Henderson said there were no witnesses, butpolice were planning to talk to several people who saw Furlow atthe landfill before and just after the late-morning accident.Police received a call to the landfill at 11:56 a.m. after Furlowwas found by a co-worker who had come to get him to go tolunch.

“It’s an accident, but we still want to be able to answerquestions,” Henderson said.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Lincoln County Coroner Clay McMorris said Furlow died at thescene after being run over by the dozer. Furlow was pronounced deadat 12:15 p.m.

An autopsy was to be performed today. Brookhaven Funeral Home isin charge of arrangements.

Henderson said a city worker had been to the landfill earlierand saw Furlow working on the dozer.

Later, the employee returned and saw the dozer down an incline.He assumed Furlow had gotten off to do some other business,Henderson said.

With houses being demolished as part of a city cleanup effort,Furlow wanted to make sure the landfill was in good order in casethe Department of Environmental Quality made an unexpected visit,Mayor Bob Massengill said.

Henderson said investigators were trying to establish a timeline for the accident. Witnesses were starting to be interviewedthis morning, he said.

“There are some things we need to know,” Henderson said.

Henderson said he had known Furlow since he started working withthe city fire department more than 30 years ago. The chief saidFurlow’s death “hits hard.”

“He’s always been a good guy,” Henderson said.