Abstract: At 6:15 p.m. on June 9, 2024, Employee #1 was standing in front of a horizontal directional drill rig discussing the next steps with a coworker, the operator. The two employees were in the process of rebuilding the drill head when the coworker attempted to reverse rotate the drill head from the cab while Employee #1 manually manipulated the drill head with a heavy-duty break-out wrench. While performing this task, the coworker heard Employee #1 say something, and upon looking from inside the cab, he saw Employee #1 lying on the ground. The coworker stopped all drill functions and immediately called 911. The investigation revealed that Employee #1 had been struck in the face and head, presumably by the break-out wrench that was found lying under the drill head/shaft. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital with a major brain bleed and was later reported to have died on June 26, 2024, due to the injuries sustained during the incident.