Perry County miner dies in machinery accident at Combs Branch Mine

A 25-year-old Perry County certified surface miner died while doing maintenance on equipment at Combs Branch Mine near Chavies, a loss that hit a county where mining still shapes both livelihoods and grief. Preston Pollard was fatally injured at about 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in an accident that state and federal officials classified as machinery-related.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration identified the site as the Combs Branch Job in Hazard, Kentucky, and listed Sev.en Global Investments a.s. as the mine controller. Other reports identified Pine Branch Mining LLC of Hazard as the operator. Mine operations were shut down while investigators examined what went wrong and how a routine maintenance task turned deadly.

Pollard’s death was Kentucky’s first mining fatality of 2026, a grim marker for a state where coal deaths have become rare but still carry heavy weight in the communities that remain tied to the industry. WEKU reported he was the first Kentucky coal miner killed on the job since 2023, underscoring how unusual and serious this workplace accident was.

The fatality also renewed attention on the rules that govern mine safety and reporting. MSHA says mine operators must report accidents within 15 minutes of when they knew or should have known about them, and the agency investigates each mining fatality before issuing alert, preliminary and final reports. Those findings will now determine whether the accident points to a breakdown in equipment safeguards, maintenance procedures or other safety controls.

Gov. Andy Beshear addressed the loss directly, saying, “I hope all of Kentucky will join Britainy and me as we pray for Preston’s family during this difficult time.” His comments reflected the shock that often follows a mining death in Perry County, where the impact reaches beyond one jobsite and into families, crews and neighborhoods that know how quickly a shift can change.

At Combs Branch Mine, the questions now center on the maintenance work Pollard was performing, the condition of the machinery involved and whether existing protections were enough. For Chavies and the wider Perry County coalfield, the death is both a personal tragedy and a reminder that the dangers of mining remain close at hand, even in the most ordinary work.