Advance man killed when trench in Jackson collapses

An Advance, Mo., man was killed Thursday when a 12-foot-deep trench he was working in collapsed in Jackson.

Kevin Lemons, 29, was pronounced dead at 3:50 p.m. at Saint Francis Medical Center by Cape Girardeau County Coroner John A. Clifton.

According to Jackson Fire Department Capt. Randy Davis, Lemons was working in the 3100 block of Bainbridge Road when the trench collapsed.

Davis said emergency crews responded to a call about the accident at about 2:50 p.m.

Lemons' legs were trapped under piles of dirt after the collapse, Davis said, and two emergency workers working with shovels pulled him out. Davis said it is unknown why the trench collapsed.

Lemons was employed by a construction company working on the city's Williams Creek Interceptor Reach B sewer expansion project. Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said Thursday the project had been underway for several weeks.

Jackson Public Works director Rodney Bollinger could not be reached for comment.