# Mich. man kills wife with chain saw in accident



## Torquin (May 11, 2009)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090511/ap_on_re_us/us_chain_saw_wife_killed
:jawdrop:


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## treeman73 (May 11, 2009)

*Prevention is worth a pound*

So sad. 

I was thinking about this the other day. When a homeowner goes to Home Cheapo or Lowes to buy a chainsaw they should be brought to a special room and forced to watch a 20 minute video on chainsaw safety and then pass a 20 question test before being able to buy a chainsaw.

Accidents like this should never happen.

My prayers are with the family.


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## dbotos (May 11, 2009)

There was a link on the front page of CNN too. 

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/gun_lake_region/Man_accidently_kills_wife_with_chainsaw


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## treemandan (May 11, 2009)

Horrible .


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## wdchuck (May 11, 2009)

I feel for the guy, can't imagine what he's feeling. It must have been a marriage that lived as a team.

I"m on a forum for stayathomedads, that's where I'd heard of this incident, and the guys knew that if my safety protocol was followed, it would never have happened. So, in my own sphere of influence, the prevention of chainsaw accidents is a known effort, and includes the lessons/experiences learned from members of this site.


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## Rickytree (May 11, 2009)

Things that make you go HMMMMMMM!


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## smokechase II (May 11, 2009)

*That class*

When you look at the number of injuries from chain saws in the US each year requiring some sort of class is a pretty reasonable thought.

I realize that any good basic class would need to be at least one day.

Realistically just 20 minutes is all that could get past the politics of right to kill myself America.

It would be a start.

That 20 minute video could have about 5 interviews with folks who have really suffered like above.


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## treeclimber101 (May 12, 2009)

In the neck , accident ???:monkey:


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## ASETECH (May 13, 2009)

smokechase II said:


> When you look at the number of injuries from chain saws in the US each year requiring some sort of class is a pretty reasonable thought.
> 
> I realize that any good basic class would need to be at least one day.
> 
> ...



While prevantable loss of life is a tradgety to be avioded, i do not believe more regulation or more government will help any of us. In a free society it's all about individual rights and responsibilities. It's not up to a regulatory comitee (OSHA) to keep me safe. It's up tp me.

I am sorry for this family and thier loss. I wish it had been prevented, but i believe in freedom and smaller government.


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## BlueRidgeMark (May 13, 2009)

treeclimber101 said:


> In the neck , accident ???:monkey:





That's not in the least surprising or hard to believe. He's cutting on the ground, she's at his side, close, looking on, he digs in the nose and KICKBACK takes another victim.


I don't let anyone stand close to me when I'm cutting. I can't imagine being so stupid as to need to be told that. 

But then, I've seen a lot of people that _are _just that stupid. I see them every day on the highways.


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## Brmorgan (May 13, 2009)

ASETECH said:


> While prevantable loss of life is a tradgety to be avioded, i do not believe more regulation or more government will help any of us. In a free society it's all about individual rights and responsibilities. It's not up to a regulatory comitee (OSHA) to keep me safe. It's up tp me.
> 
> I am sorry for this family and thier loss. I wish it had been prevented, but i believe in freedom and smaller government.



The problem though is that his lack of personal responsibility killed someone ELSE. I don't have much sympathy for someone who kills themselves out of their own stupidity - in fact it can often be humorous - but her personal rights were infringed upon by someone essentially wielding a weapon because he didn't know how to use it properly as a tool. I know you could say that it was also her lack of responsibility, but in the end he was the one with the chainsaw so the end blame is his. It may be common sense to not walk in front of someone with a gun, but if someone does and gets shot, it's still the shooter's fault. I'm not advocating mass regulation of chainsaw ownership or anything, but most of these box-store things don't even come with what I would call a respectable owner's manual. 

Having said all that, freak accidents do happen even to the best-trained folks, so it's entirely possible he was being fairly safe with the exception of the proximity to his wife.


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## treeoperations (May 14, 2009)

there are more accidents like this then you hear about and even more near misses, i am all for being able to do what you want with some degree of freedom but you need a liscense to own a gun and so why not a chain saw accidents are still going to happen but it would at least start getting rid of idiots that shouldnt have a saw.

i have nearly been killed by a home owner with nothing but mush between his ears so i am all for restricting who can buy and use a chainsaw there just as deadly as guns and as cars so whats the difference


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## ChuckMI (May 14, 2009)

*License to Own Gun?*

<<you need a license to own a gun>>

What state requires a license to own a rifle?


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## fsfcks (May 15, 2009)

Unfortunately neither training nor licensing will prevent all accidents. Training and licensing, if designed appropriately, could at best reduce the number and severity of accidents. However licensing usually implies regulations, which reduces freedoms and implies penalties or criminal prosecution for non-compliance etc. It is never a zero sum game.

Sometimes I wonder what society will look like in 40 years with the increasing push for regulation and restriction of anything that might even remotely cause any injuries or deaths. Compare childhood 40 years ago with now.


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## rdbrumfield (May 15, 2009)

The bottom line is, there are some folks that should never drive, others that should never hold a firearm, and there are those that shouldn't pick up chainsaws, pitchforks, axes and uncountless other hand TOOLS.


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## Dalmatian90 (May 15, 2009)

> but her personal rights were infringed upon by someone essentially wielding a weapon because he didn't know how to use it properly as a tool



No, she shares responsibility because her own choices contributed. If you walk down the centerline of the road instead of on the shoulder and get hit, is it the driver's fault? 

The government that governs the least governs the best. Tragic episode, but certainly nothing worthy of regulation.


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## treeclimber101 (May 15, 2009)

Dalmatian90 said:


> No, she shares responsibility because her own choices contributed. If you walk down the centerline of the road instead of on the shoulder and get hit, is it the driver's fault?
> 
> The government that governs the least governs the best. Tragic episode, but certainly nothing worthy of regulation.


Yes you always Yield to pedestrians, everyone knows that.


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## Taxmantoo (May 15, 2009)

ChuckMI said:


> <<you need a license to own a gun>>
> 
> What state requires a license to own a rifle?



Sillinoise comes to mind. They call it FOID.


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## dingeryote (May 15, 2009)

There is no law or ordnance that will effectively protect the ignorant from themselves.

They cast the letters "C" and "H" into the shower controls, yet every day some idjit burns the crap outta themselves by turning the wrong knob.

They put warning stickers all over lawn mowers, and add all manner of safety gadgets to the things to the point they only cut grass with extreme input applied.... yet every day, some doofus runs his foot over with a riding mower.

Fer cryin' out loud I was reading the other day that some speedbump is suing the folks who make Murine eye drops, cuz he scratched his eyeball with the dropper bottle...

It's sad the Lady bled to death, because it COULD have been avoided.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## pelhamjeff (May 17, 2009)

dingeryote said:


> There is no law or ordnance that will effectively protect the ignorant from themselves.
> 
> They cast the letters "C" and "H" into the shower controls, yet every day some idjit burns the crap outta themselves by turning the wrong knob.
> 
> ...



You're absolutely right!


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## 04superduty (May 19, 2009)

from what i heard he didnt even know she was there. she walked up behind him and he turned around and bam.


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## yodayoda (May 19, 2009)

ASETECH said:


> While prevantable loss of life is a tradgety to be avioded, i do not believe more regulation or more government will help any of us. In a free society it's all about individual rights and responsibilities. It's not up to a regulatory comitee (OSHA) to keep me safe. It's up tp me.
> 
> I am sorry for this family and thier loss. I wish it had been prevented, but i believe in freedom and smaller government.



+1 I really feel for the guy, but this is no place for the government to stick it's nose, it really scares me how many Americans look to our Government to solve our problems, that was not what our government was originally set up to do, and most anything they do get involved in, it makes it worse, wastes working Americans hard earned money that the government extorted from them.


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## dbotos (May 19, 2009)

04superduty said:


> from what i heard he didnt even know she was there. she walked up behind him and he turned around and bam.



That's like swinging a loaded gun around...


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## snofrog (May 24, 2009)

smokechase II said:


> When you look at the number of injuries from chain saws in the US each year requiring some sort of class is a pretty reasonable thought.
> 
> .



people go to drivers ed and still get in accidents... really if you want to make chainsaws safe it boils down to getting saws out of the hands of people . outlaw them and have turn in your chainsaw days at the local police stations . we can then all get by with bow and buck saws . problem solved


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## outofmytree (May 28, 2009)

My wife was my groundie for 2 years and I have had chills watching her feed the chipper, work the saw or run the porta-wrap. That guy will rerun the final moments of his wifes life over and over and over. I never want to be in his shoes.

As to regulation not saving lives...... There is a good reason why everyone in a given country drives on the same side of the road..... Regulations will never stop the invincibly ignorant from hurting themselves or others but they absolutely save lives. 

I would love to see the purchase of chainsaws restricted to those who have a chainsaw "license". A simple 1 day chainsaw safety and handling course would save lives and limbs.


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## dbotos (May 28, 2009)

"With freedom comes responsibility." -Eleanor Roosevelt

The man had the freedom to go out and buy a chainsaw without some government-mandated California-nanny-state style training. But he also had a responsibility to operate it safely and his wife had a responsibility to stay out of the area while he was running it. The only way I'd ever go near anyone else with a running saw is if I saw them click the brake on and got some verbal or hand signal confirmation that they were done cutting for the moment and that it was safe to enter the area.


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## super3 (May 28, 2009)

outofmytree said:


> I would love to see the purchase of chainsaws restricted to those who have a chainsaw "license". A simple 1 day chainsaw safety and handling course would save lives and limbs.



Yep,that'll fix this problem. Drivers licenses sure have eliminated vehicle accidents.


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## ASETECH (May 29, 2009)

outofmytree said:


> My wife was my groundie for 2 years and I have had chills watching her feed the chipper, work the saw or run the porta-wrap. That guy will rerun the final moments of his wifes life over and over and over. I never want to be in his shoes.
> 
> As to regulation not saving lives...... There is a good reason why everyone in a given country drives on the same side of the road..... Regulations will never stop the invincibly ignorant from hurting themselves or others but they absolutely save lives.
> 
> I would love to see the purchase of chainsaws restricted to those who have a chainsaw "license". A simple 1 day chainsaw safety and handling course would save lives and limbs.



Because government entities are so great and well run. Once regulation begin, they grow to keep themselves in existence. (Look at the EPA) We are already loosing freedom! I am completely against more regulations. Our fed completely infringes on States rights to regulate.


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## outofmytree (May 30, 2009)

super3 said:


> Yep,that'll fix this problem. Drivers licenses sure have eliminated vehicle accidents.



I said reduced not eliminated.


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## outofmytree (May 30, 2009)

ASETECH said:


> Because government entities are so great and well run. Once regulation begin, they grow to keep themselves in existence. (Look at the EPA) We are already loosing freedom! I am completely against more regulations. Our fed completely infringes on States rights to regulate.



Are you on crack? Regulation already rules your life and you are too blind to see it! The car you drive was built under regulation, the road you drive it on was also built under regulation and, assuming for a moment you have a drivers license, that was also issued under regulation.

As I have said, regulation does not save everyone, but it sure as hell saves more people than the utter chaos that results from zero rules.

What exactly are you afraid of anyway. That the big bad government is going to discover what illegal activities you have going on under the smoke screen of "freedom".?????


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## ASETECH (May 30, 2009)

outofmytree said:


> Are you on crack? Regulation already rules your life and you are too blind to see it! The car you drive was built under regulation, the road you drive it on was also built under regulation and, assuming for a moment you have a drivers license, that was also issued under regulation.
> 
> As I have said, regulation does not save everyone, but it sure as hell saves more people than the utter chaos that results from zero rules.
> 
> What exactly are you afraid of anyway. That the big bad government is going to discover what illegal activities you have going on under the smoke screen of "freedom".?????



I am afraid of the escalating costs of a booming government. The US National debt is already out of control, We are not currently paying for all the wonderful services that our government provides and they are growing and spending like wild. I have kids - I don't want them to have to pay 50-60% taxes. It annoys me when people say there should be a regulation. Hell there are plenty already.

It's probably different elsewhere but here government services and regulations cost a fortune for mediocre service. I am not against law or for anarchy but I do understand that the founders of this country understood the problem of large government. Our apathy is biting us in the rear! Maybe we should have regulations against apathy! Oh sweet pile em on!


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## outofmytree (May 30, 2009)

ASETECH said:


> I am afraid of the escalating costs of a booming government. The US National debt is already out of control, We are not currently paying for all the wonderful services that our government provides and they are growing and spending like wild. I have kids - I don't want them to have to pay 50-60% taxes. It annoys me when people say there should be a regulation. Hell there are plenty already.
> 
> It's probably different elsewhere but here government services and regulations cost a fortune for mediocre service. I am not against law or for anarchy but I do understand that the founders of this country understood the problem of large government. Our apathy is biting us in the rear! Maybe we should have regulations against apathy! Oh sweet pile em on!



If costs are your only concern then breathe easy. I can assure you that it is much cheaper to require all retailers to ask for proof of training before selling you a chainsaw than it is to pay for medical costs associated with injuries and deaths. I assume that retailers of alcohol still ask for proof or age where you live?


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## ASETECH (May 30, 2009)

Never mind. You completely miss the point. I am against regulations and bigger government. Cost is only one piece, there is more to it than that. If you are truly interested read the 5000 year leap.


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## BlueRidgeMark (May 30, 2009)

treeclimber101 said:


> Yes you always Yield to pedestrians, everyone knows that.



Not so in a good many countries. How's that work out? Simple - pedestrians just don't walk out in front of vehicles. They're actually safer than here, where we think we have a RIGHT to walk in front of a speeding car!


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