The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a Benton County highway department employee. An on-the-job accident killed the man Thursday afternoon.

45-year-old Stephen Etter was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

County Coroner John Cox said Etter was working at the highway garage. He was working on a tire of a road grader which had a split rim.

Cox said the rim blew off the tire and struck the front of Etter's body around 2 p.m. Etter was pronounced dead at the scene about 40 minutes later after paramedics worked on him.
Cox said Etter was a 14-year veteran of the highway department. An autopsy was scheduled.

94.1 WGFA