Coroner identifies miner killed at troubled Peabody operation in Illinois

Deceased Peabody miner identified as Kentucky man

EQUALITY, Ill. — Authorities have identified the miner killed at a troubled Peabody Energy mine in southern Illinois as a 61-year-old Kentucky man.

He was struck by a piece of heavy underground equipment at Peabody Energy Corp.’s Willow Lake mine on Friday.

The Saline County coroner’s office identified the man as Thomas N. Brown of Eddyville, Ky. He was a section foreman.

The mine has been closed while officials from the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources investigate the accident.

MSHA recently singled out Willow Lake as particularly dangerous. The agency has fined Peabody $230,000 for violations at the mine since late 2008.

St. Louis-based Peabody has defended its safety record.