Sprint exec gets hit by boulder, dies

SNOWMASS CANYON, Colo., Aug. 16 (UPI) -- A Sprint Nextel Corp. executive died when a boulder slammed through his car's windshield as he drove in Snowmass Canyon, Colo., state patrol officers said.

The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported Thomas Murphy, 45, vice president of corporate brand marketing for Sprint, was driving with his wife, Jennifer and his son, Ethan, 11, when the accident occurred.

The Colorado State Patrol said the briefcase-size boulder fell from a mountain and broke through the windshield of the family's 2007 Chevy Tahoe sports utility vehicle.

Murphy was knocked unconscious and his son sustained minor injuries. Murphy's wife put the car in neutral from the passenger's seat, hoping it would stop. The car was on a steep downhill road, and it took over a mile before it could be brought under control, authorities said.

Murphy was taken to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, where he was pronounced dead. His son was reported to be in stable condition.

This is the first fatality involving a boulder hitting a vehicle for the county's force this year, said Sgt. Rich Armstrong, public information officer for the state patrol in Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle counties. But he said such accidents are fairly regular occurrences.