Tree trimmer who died after falling into wood chipper in Menlo Park identified; Cal/OSHA investigating - KGO-TV

2 years ago 74

MENLO PARK, Calif. (KGO) -- A histrion trimmer died aft falling into a chipper successful Menlo Park connected Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

The workplace decease was reported astatine 12:53 p.m. connected the 900 artifact of Peggy Lane, wherever officers arrived to find the idiosyncratic had died.

The antheral was identified arsenic Jesus Contreras-Benitez. He was 47 years aged and resided successful Redwood City, according to the San Mateo County Coroner's Office.

Residents surviving successful the vicinity told ABC7 News it's emblematic to spot histrion trimming enactment crossed the city. Many streets, including on Peggy Lane, are lined with towering trees.

However, calamity struck Tuesday. The state's part of Occupational Safety and Health says an worker of FA Bartlett Tree Expert Company died.

Cal/OSHA described, "According to the extracurricular source, the worker was pulled into the chipper during histrion trimming operations."

"We each consciousness sick and sad," longtime nonmigratory Lisa Mitchell said. "We're truly sad. We're trying to ideate what the mediocre household and their chap workers are feeling. And it's just, it's a lot. We conscionable consciousness terrible."

Fellow workers were connected country Tuesday day and said the institution would not beryllium releasing a statement.

Resident Mitchell explained the assemblage is rather acquainted with the company.

"We spot a batch of their trucks," she said. "So, I tin lone ideate what they're feeling, due to the fact that I'm definite they dainty their employees similar household and it's just, it's awful."

When constabulary arrived astir 12:53 successful the afternoon, they recovered the antheral dormant from injuries sustained successful that incident.

Resident Thanh Skinner said neighbors were antecedently alerted astir tree-trimming operations successful the area. However, they ne'er imagined it would pb to a deadly incident.

"It's mostly precise peaceful, quiet, you don't truly spot immoderate activity," Skinner described. "So, erstwhile I came location astir 2:30 p.m., the thoroughfare was wholly blocked off. And truthful we thought possibly thing had happened to 1 of our neighbors."

Cal/OSHA volition beryllium investigating the decease and has six months to contented citations if wellness and information violations are found.

Meantime, residents on Peggy Lane said they cognize however unsafe the occupation could beryllium connected truthful galore levels. Tuesday's calamity is conscionable 1 example.

"You perceive astir the possibilities of horrific things happening, but don't truly cognize that they can," Mitchell said. "And contiguous was intelligibly impervious that they can."

The individuality of the idiosyncratic volition beryllium released by the San Mateo County coroner's office, and the decease is being investigated by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Bay City News contributed to this report.