January 14, 2019 - The Bell County, Kentucky coroner was called to the scene of a deadly coal mining accident Monday morning.

It happened off KY-2012 at the Tennco Energy Inc., Toms Fork mine, at the Nally and Hamilton mine in the Balkan community near the Harlan County line.

Officials tell us Jeffrey Norman Slone, 56, of Clinton, Tennessee died in the accident. They said the surveyor was 600 feet underground when a shuttle car hit him. The 30-year mining veteran was taken to Pineville Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

We learned Sloan went to Harlan High School, where he played football and was in the Harlan Boys' Choir.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is investigating what happened and is recreating the scene. All mining operations are shut down and will remain that way during the investigation.

“My deepest sympathies go out to the Sloan family,” Kentucky Energy and Environment Secretary Charles G. Snavely said. “We will learn more about how this accident happened and what can be done to prevent another such loss of life.”