August 25, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
A 55 year old Shelbyville man working in a bucket truck died Monday afternoon in Smithville when a conductive rope he was using touched a hot electric line and electrocuted him
Joseph Charles McAdams died at the scene.
McAdams was among three linemen reportedly working for a company contracted by Comcast when the incident occurred at a job site at 750 South Congress Boulevard.
Smithville Police were summoned to the scene after being notified of an unresponsive man slumped over in a bucket truck. Upon arrival officers were informed by EMS paramedics already on the scene that the man was deceased. The two men who had been working with McAdams told police that they were pulling fiber when McAdams tried to toss them a rope from his bucket truck to their truck. But instead of grabbing a nylon rope normally used by the linemen, McAdams threw over a conductive rope containing copper wire which crossed over and touched a hot wire. The co-workers said McAdams collapsed in the bucket of the truck. EMS was then contacted. Smithville Electric System was also summoned to turn off the power and to remove the rope from the electric wires. After the Medical Examiner was called McAdams’ body was taken to the hospital and his family was notified.