A longtime employee of the North Little Rock Electric Department died on the job Wednesday morning, according to a statement released by the city.
Doug Thurmond, 53, was a journeyman lineman who had worked for the department for 17 years, the statement said.
Thurmond died from injuries consistent with electric shock, the city said. He was dispatched on a call about 6 a.m. Wednesday to deal with a streetlight wire in the road after a car wreck near Karrott Street and Broadway, the statement said.
A city spokesman said later Wednesday that Thurmond's death is under investigation and no further details were available.
"Doug was a friend to so many here," James Bray, general manager of the Electric Department, wrote in the statement. "We at North Little Rock Electric are devastated for the loss."
Bray and Mayor Joe Smith in the statement expressed sympathy for Thurmond's wife, Lisa, and son, Michael.
"Our linemen do a dangerous job and we too often take for granted the service they provide," Smith said. "Doug was the definition of a true public servant. He would work in uncomfortable conditions so we could keep our lights on and be warm and safe in our homes.
"We owe Lisa and Michael the prayers of our city, the gratitude of our community, and the knowledge that we are heartbroken for their loss," Smith said.
Metro on 12/21/2017