FRANKFORT, Ky. — One man is dead and another injured after a tree fell on the pickup truck they were driving at a coal mine in Bell County. 

What You Need To Know

  • One coal miner is dead and another injured after an accident Tuesday

  • A tree fell on the pair's truck as they were driving back to the work site

  • This is the first coal mine fatality in Kentucky this year

  • This is the third fatality nationally

32-year-old Cecil Collett of Dryden, Virginia was a surface mine/blaster at the Colmar mine owned by Nally & Hamilton Enterprises, Inc., of Bardstown. He and his passenger, 45-year-old Joshua Pendleton of Ewing, Virginia were returning to the work area at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday when a tree approximately 24 inches in diameter fell from a high wall above the road and hit the truck. The two men were taken to the Middlesboro ARH hospital where Collette was pronounced dead and Pendleton is recovering from a broken hip and pelvis.

Gov. Andy Beshear released a statement about the accident Wednesday that read, “This miner’s unfortunate death is another reminder of the special dangers that these miners face daily. Please join me in expressing my deep condolences to his family, friends and community.”

All operations at the Colmar mine were shut down after the accident and it remains closed Wednesday while the investigation continues. The Kentucky Department for Natural Resources, Division of Mine Safety is working with the National Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) on the investigation. 

According to MSHA website, Collete's death is the first mining death in Kentucky for 2022, but the third fatality nationally.

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