Man dies in Nevada County wood chipper accident

In what law enforcement officials are calling “a tragic accident,” an unidentified male was killed by an industrial-sized wood chipper early Thursday on the outskirts of Nevada City.

At the 10000 block of Indian Shack Road, a crew of landscaping professionals was clearing brush from a private residence at about 8:30 a.m., when one of the crew members became ensnared in some rope that was being funneled into a large wood chipper. He was sucked headfirst into the machinery, said Sgt. Hap Penaluna of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.

The man died on scene, Penaluna confirmed.

His identity will not be released, pending notification of next of kin.

“It was a huge chipper capable of processing full-size trees,” Penaluna said. “It's just a tragic accident.”

Story courtesy of The Union in Grass Valley.