A WSSC Water employee who was working on New Hampshire Avenue in Montgomery County, Maryland, during the early morning hours Sunday was struck and killed by an intoxicated driver, police said.

It happened at around 4:40 a.m. near the intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and Rodney Road in Hillandale.

The utility worker, 39-year-old Ernest Joseph Dyson, of Clinton, was responding to a water main break in that area when the driver of a black 2011 Volkswagen CC struck him while traveling southbound on New Hampshire Avenue, police said in a news release.

Dyson died at the scene.

In a statement, WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia Powell said the company “has heavy hearts today as we join family and friends in mourning the loss of one of our own, Crew Supervisor Ernest Joseph Dyson.”

According to Powell, Dyson had been with WSSC Water for nearly 18 years.

“We are all heartbroken and honestly still in shock as we process this senseless tragedy. Our deepest condolences are with Mr. Dyson’s family during this incredibly difficult time and with all his teammates who knew and cared for him. We will continue to support the family and team as we navigate through this difficult time,” Powell wrote in her statement.