# Tree Clearing Accident



## JODY MESSICK (Feb 20, 2006)

Bell man is killed in Jonesville accident

A Bell man was killed in a tree-clearing accident Friday near Jonesville after a large log was dropped on him, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. The 25-year-old man, whose name was being withheld because his family had not yet been notified, was an employee of Ridgeway Tree Removal, which was contracted by Watson Construction to clear trees at 12400 Newberry Road at the Villages of West End, Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Keith Faulk said. The man was trimming and topping logs with a chain saw and didn't hear an approaching skidder tractor that was pulling logs and dropping them into a pile, Faulk said. The driver of the tractor did not see the man and dropped a log, which pinned the man and caused fatal injuries, Faulk said. The man was flown to Shands at the University of Florida, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, Faulk said. Deputies believe the incident was accidental and do not suspect foul play. Officials from the Occupational and Safety and Health Administration are investigatin


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