A contract worker clearing vegetation from a Sequoyah Hills wastewater pumping station was killed Thursday when a tree fell on him.
Authorities were alerted about 12:20 p.m. of the incident at the Knoxville Utilities Board Cheowa Pump Station, 617 Cheowa Circle, in West Knoxville.
When emergency workers arrived, the man was already dead.
The bucket truck at the scene bore the name of Trees Inc. The company is based in Houston and boasts more than 2,000 employees.
A KUB spokeswoman would not confirm the victim worked for Trees Inc., saying not all relatives of the man had been notified of his death.
Details of how the incident occurred were not available. Authorities did not divulge the name of the victim.
Forensic specialists with the Knoxville Police Department went to the scene to take photos for the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
TOSHA will conduct an official investigation and interview witnesses to determine whether safety procedures were followed.
"KUB will work with the contractor to conduct a thorough review of the accident and will cooperate with authorities in any other inquiries," a KUB release said.
More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel.
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Trees, Inc., was founded in 1953 with a specialization in utility line clearance. As we have grown, however, so has the scope of our services. Today, we are one of the nation's largest providers of professional vegetation management services in the utility industry. With over 2,000 highly trained employees, quality has been the basis of our growth and success since the company was founded.