Teen killed by wood chipper on first day of new job
GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) -- Authorities say a 19-year-old North Carolina man was killed after he was pulled into a wood chipper.
Officials tell local media outlets that Crawford Tree Service of Belmont was cutting down trees in a yard on Saturday. They say Mason Scott Cox of Gastonia tried to kick a limb into a wood chipper and got pulled in.
Kings Mountain Police say Cox was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers say they've determined that the death was accidental and that no foul play was involved.
It was the teen’s first day working as a subcontractor with the company, but the business’ owner, Jon Crawford, insisted that Cox was working “side by side with two experienced employees,” WBTV reported.
Crawford told the television station he thought the limb may have grabbed a piece of Cox’s clothing as it was sucked into the chipper.
The teen, whose cousin works for Crawford, had taken the day’s work to make extra money, the business owner told The Herald.
He said the work site was safe and Cox was not performing any tasks too difficult for a newcomer, WBTV reported.