UPDATE: 2-9-12, 8:55 p.m. (identity of victim)

A 46-year-old man operating heavy equipment on a homesite under construction in a south Forsyth County subdivision was killed Thursday morning, according to authorities.

The accident occurred just before 11:30 on Bramble Bush Way in the Turnberry subdivision off James Burgess Road, said Capt. Jason Shivers with the Forsyth County Fire Department.

Jeffery McGhee of Cumming was operating a skid-steer loader (brand name "Bobcat") and is believed to have backed down a steep incline and hit a tree.

"The impact crushed him in the cab of the equipment," said Shivers. "He was dead upon the arrival of the fire department."

The incident was reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which advised local authorities to cease any extrication operations until it was able to arrive on the scene.

Shivers said when OSHA officials arrived they conducted their initial field investigation and gave the fire department the go-ahead with the continued extrication of McGhee's body.

"Using some heavy equipment we were able to move the machine off of the tree and then remove the body from the equipment," Shivers said.

According to Nickie Stoekel, Forsyth County Deputy Coroner, the cause and matter of Mr. McGhee's death has yet to be determined pending autopsy results with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

McGhee is survived by his wife and son and was employed with John P. Wood Grading and Hauling based in Cumming.