Maryville business owner killed in Cumberland Gap Tunnel April 17th 2008

A Maryville business owner was killed late Monday evening inside the Cumberland Gap Tunnel where he was working.

Douglas Sykora of Maryville, owner of Maryville-based Con-Quip Inc., died after being pinned between a cement truck and a piece of heavy equipment.

According to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park personnel, Sykora was working in the northbound side of the tunnel when the accident occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. Monday. Sykora was transported to a Middlesboro, Ky., hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to Con-Quip?s Web site, the company is located at 445 Continental Drive and provides a variety of concrete pumping services.

Park personnel reported that northbound and southbound traffic had been routed to the southbound side of the tunnel Monday evening so work could be done on the northbound side where Sykora was working. Tunnel staff and contractors were pouring concrete at the time.

According to the Middlesboro Daily News, Sykora was signaling for a cement truck from Concrete Products Inc. to move forward when the truck lunged and pinned Sykora between the vehicle and another piece of construction machinery. Officials say they are unsure of what caused the cement truck, driven by 29-year-old Chris Cunningham of Middlesboro, to lunge forward.

The Cumberland Gap Tunnel is a four-lane, twin-bore mountain tunnel that is 4,600 feet long. It carries US-25E under Cumberland Gap between Tennessee and Kentucky. The tunnel took 17 years to build and was completed in October 1996 at a cost of $280 million.

The accident is still under investigation by rangers with the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

Family members told The Daily Times a private service will take place at a later date. Friends, families and neighbors are invited to the family's home this Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.