Police have asked people to avoid a popular Christmas lights display after a contractor died in a grizzly wood chipper accident nearby.
The accident was connected with a landscaping business across the street from the local attraction, which draws many visitors at this time of year.
Emergency responders were at the scene into the night after the incident at around 5pm on Monday November 29.
According to a statement from Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, the 46-year-old male tree trimmer was left with traumatic injuries after partially falling into the woodchipper in the town of Owensboro, Kentucky.
Reports suggest he became tangled before falling into the machine.
Image:
Getty Images)Further details of the unfortunate victim have not been released.
In a statement posted online, the organisers of Owensboro Christmas Lights called on people to visit a different night.
It read: "Please be cautious and extra aware if you are traveling in our area tonight. There has been an accident concerning a landscaping business across the street from our display. Local authorities have our neighborhood blocked off at the moment.
"We have the lights on to help light the area for the first responders, but please plan to visit the display a different night."
Image:
Getty Images/iStockphoto)“A local tree trimming contractor was doing some work, when an employee became tangled and fell partially into a wood chipper,” according to police release.
The investigation is ongoing and no foul play is suspected.
Wood chipper accidents are not all too rare in the US.
Last month a man died in a freak incident in Menlo Park, California.
"When police units arrived on scene, a male subject was found deceased from injuries sustained from the incident," police said.
Image:
Getty Images)The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) added that the man had been "pulled in" to the chipper when carrying out his work.
"When police units arrived on scene, a male subject was found deceased from injuries sustained from the incident," police said.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) added that the man had been "pulled in" to the chipper when carrying out his work.
The worker died working for S.P. McClenahan, a part of the FA Bartlett Tree Expert Company said to be familiar with locals in the area.
A study in 2018 revealed there had been 113 wood chipper-related worker deaths in the US between 1982 and 2016.
Of that total, 41 people died after being caught in the machine.
