Cullman man killed in Smith Lake boat crash

Published 3:42 pm Monday, December 10, 2012

A Cullman man was killed Saturday in a boating accident at Smith Lake in Cullman County.

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Joseph Leonard Brock, 63, of Cullman died of head trauma after the fishing boat he was piloting lost control and crashed into a boat dock walkway. The accident occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. in an area of the lake near County Road 321.

Brock’s sole passenger, Timothy Dale Morrison, was not injured in the crash.

Cullman County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, and the accident was worked by marine police.

According to sheriff’s reports, one of th emen dropped their glasses while piloting the boat. When Brock and Morrison tried to grab them, Brock lost control.

“There were riding along and when he dropped his glasses they tried to grab them,” Cullman County Sheriff’s deputy David Dover sad. “At that point they veered off into a boat dock, hitting the walkway to the dock. From there they hit another walkway and went up on the bank.”

Brock was transported from the scene to Huntsville Hospital, where he died from injuries sustained in the crash.

He was a longtime local resident and worked at General Dynamics for more than 30 years. He also served in the U.S. Army and National Guard.

Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.