Tree trimmer dies after falling into a wood chipper, California police say. ‘Horrific’

A tree trimmer died after falling into a wood chipper in what Menlo Park neighbors called a “horrific” accident, California police reported.

Police were notified of the fatal accident in the 900 block of Peggy Lane at 12:53 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Menlo Park Police Department said in a news release.

A worker with a commercial tree company fell into a chipper and died, police said. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will investigate.

The incident shocked neighborhood residents, who told KGO they frequently see crews trimming street trees.

“We all feel sick and sad,” resident Lisa Mitchell told the station. “We’re really sad. We’re trying to imagine what the poor family and their fellow workers are feeling. And it’s just, it’s a lot. We just feel terrible.”

Cal/OSHA said the worker was pulled into the chipper, NBC News reported.

The accident closed the street for several hours, police said. The identity of the worker has not been released as of Oct. 12.

“You hear about the possibilities of horrific things happening, but don’t really know that they can,” Mitchell told KGO. “And today was clearly proof that they can.”

Menlo Park is a city of 72,000 about 35 miles south of San Francisco.

This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Tree trimmer dies after falling into a wood chipper, California police say. ‘Horrific’."