Jul. 14—The man killed during a roofing accident in Mt. Juliet on Monday has been identified.
Enoc Hernandez succumbed to his injuries after a ladder at a home in Mt. Juliet made contact with a power line by the property. The incident also left two other co-workers in the hospital.
A GoFundMe, organized by Penny Austermiller of Austermiller Roofing, had raised more than $10,000 as of Wednesday. The page indicates that the funds donated "will go towards the remaining crew members and their families, medical expenses for those injured and the family of Hernandez."
According to Capt. Scott Moore, the public information officer for the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, "roofing contractors were working at a residence on Quad Oak Drive in Mt. Juliet."
Shortly before noon, the incident occurred in the 200 block of Quad Oak Drive, resulting in the deceased's electrocution.
Moore indicated that a "ladder had fallen into an electrical line" and caused the fatality.
Emergency responders transported the two injured people to local hospitals. However, the WCSO did not release the extent of those injuries. Moore indicated that because the incident did not involve foul play, the office would not be releasing additional details to avoid "interfering with anything the (Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration) was doing."
Members of the Wilson County Emergency Management Agency worked the scene as well.
The public information officer for TOSHA, Chris Cannon, indicated that law enforcement notified his department following the accident.
"A TOSHA investigator arrived at the location Monday afternoon and is currently reviewing the circumstances that led to the worker's death," Cannon said in an email. "During the investigative process, TOSHA typically surveys the location of the incident, reviews company records and procedures, and then will conduct interviews with management and employees."
Cannon also mentioned that fatality investigations could take eight to 10 weeks.
As department policy, TOSHA does not release any preliminary information regarding an incident. Cannon did say that when the investigation is final, the report detailing the agency's findings is open for review by Tennessee citizens.
According to Amy Byers, the marketing and public relations coordinator for Middle Tennessee Electric, the company responded to the scene shortly after the roofing contractor incident.
Since the incident involved an electrical line, Byers mentioned that Middle Tennessee Electric "terminated power to the area and dispatched crews to remove the ladder from the primary cables."