Officials report that a 19-year-old man was killed during his first day on the job after being pulled into a wood chipper.
Kings Mountain Police told the media that Crawford Tree Service of Belmont was cutting down trees over the last weekend when new employee, Gastonia resident Mason Scott Cox, tried to kick a limb into a wood chipper with his foot. But as the tree limb slammed into the machine it dragged Cox in with it.
Unfortunately, even as his co-workers tried desperately to turn off the mulching machine to help the teenager, it was too late. He was dead before his boss, Jon Crawford, could flip the switch.
Crawford himself suffered a calamity during the accident that claimed the younger man’s life. The boss and owner of the tree trimming company suffered a heart attack during the accident, sending him to the hospital.
The young man’s family was utterly shocked by the news. The victim’s mother, Debra Sisk, told the media that her son was excited about starting the job and had pleaded with his family to let him take the job.
The teen’s grandmother told WSOC TV that she is haunted by the accident.
“How could this happen to such a vibrant, young gentleman?” grandmother Alice Neal asked in sadnesss.
OSHA is investigating the accident but no charges have been filed to date.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston, or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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