Piedmont man dies when concrete hits

Tahlequah-AP-- A Piedmont man has died in a freak accident on the Illinois River.<br><br>Officials say a large slab of concrete gave way and fell on top of 36-year-old Rob Sonnier when he tried to jump

Wednesday, September 6th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tahlequah-AP-- A Piedmont man has died in a freak accident on the Illinois River.

Officials say a large slab of concrete gave way and fell on top of 36-year-old Rob Sonnier when he tried to jump into the river Sunday.

Officials say Sonnier fell on his back in the water and the concrete hit his chest and shoulder. An artery in his neck was severed.

Sonnier was pronounced dead at a Fayetteville, Arkansas, hospital.

A ranger with the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission says Sonnier and friends were staying at a cabin on the river north of Tahlequah.

Witnesses say Sonnier was standing on an old sidewalk about ten feet above the water and was about to jump when the concrete gave way.