Sprint Nextel Marketing Executive Dies in Road Accident

Sprint Nextel's vice president of corporate brand marketing, Thomas Murphy has died in a road accident after a mountainside boulder fell onto the car he was driving last Friday. Local police said that the accident happened near Aspen, Colorado.

The Colorado State Patrol said a boulder the size of a briefcase fell off a mountain and crashed through the windshield of the family car, knocking Murphy unconscious.

Murphy was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His 11-year old son, Ethan Murphy was reported to be in stable condition. His wife and other two sons who were in the car at the time were uninjured.

Murphy and his family had been returning to their home in Kansas City from a vacation, according to a statement from Sprint.

"The employees of Sprint are deeply saddened on the death of Tom Murphy," the company said in its statement. "Cheerful and enthusiastic, he was a highly effective marketing advocate for Sprint and a beloved member of Sprint's NASCAR team."

Posted to the site on 16th August 2009