# Town official is killed by tree



## JODY MESSICK (Jan 23, 2007)

; Sturbridge man was an assessor

STURBRIDGE, MA -- A longtime town assessor and businessman died Monday afternoon shortly after a tree he was cutting down fell on him, police said.

Donald H. Mapplebeck, 67, was taken by ambulance to Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge, where he died a short time later. He suffered severe trauma, Police Sgt. Kevin R. Mercier said in an interview yesterday.

Mr. Mapplebeck and his co-worker were taking down pine trees in the backyard at 67 Walker Pond Road when the accident happened just before 2:30 p.m., the sergeant said. A very large tree that was being cut down struck another tree as it fell, which redirected the path of the falling tree. Two police cruisers and an ambulance arrived within five minutes.


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## smokechase II (Jan 23, 2007)

*Very sad*

This is pretty sad. You feel for his family.

No details, but I'll speculate that hiring a local-bonded-been-in-the-business-for-more-than-a-decade-arborist would have been appropriate.

And I'm not even an arborist.


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## Davey Dog (Jan 23, 2007)

smokechase II said:


> No details, but I'll speculate that hiring a local-bonded-been-in-the-business-for-more-than-a-decade-arborist would have been appropriate.
> QUOTE]
> 
> 2nd that one..... It is a shame though and most likely could have been avoided.


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