A 57-year-old employee at Columbus Brick Company died Wednesday after being involved in an accident at the company’s Brickyard Drive factory.
William “Joey” Cooper, 57, a supervisor at Columbus Brick Company, was involved in the accident about 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant. Cooper was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle where he was pronounced dead shortly after 12:30 p.m.
Head trauma was the cause of death, according to Merchant.
Joe Beall, a spokesperson for the company, confirmed that Cooper had been injured in the company’s factory. No other details were released.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation in the incident. Lindsay Williams, deputy regional director of OSHA’s public affairs in Atlanta, told The Dispatch that the agency was notified about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday by the coroner’s office.
“No additional details are available at this time,” Williams said.
Cooper had worked for Columbus Brick Company about eight years. Merchant said Cooper and his family moved from Macon to Steens a few years ago.
The company is cooperating with the Columbus Police Department, the Lowndes County Coroner’s Office and OSHA, Beall said.
The family-owned business has been in Columbus since 1890, according to its website. It makes different types and shapes of bricks and distributes them in more than 18 states. It is the only brick manufacturer in Mississippi, according to its website.
Dispatch managing editor William Browning contributed to this report.
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