Not Fargo: Teen dies in wood chipper.

[michelle]

EEk!

FOX 43 News Report
Teen killed in wood chipper accident

POQUOSON, Va. - Grief counselors will be at Poquoson High School Monday to help students deal with the sudden, tragic loss of one of their classmates.

Fourteen-year old Frank Anthony Gornick of Poquoson died in a wood chipper accident Sunday evening.

Poquoson Police Chief Cliff Bowen told WAVY.com, Gornick was working with Old Dominion Tree and Lawn Care Service at a home on Wagner Road.

"They were doing some tree trimming and using a chipper machine to grind up some of the debris," Bowen said. "Apparently one of the members of the crew was shoveling debris into the back of the chipper, at which time the shovel he was using got caught in the blades and pulled him into the machine."

Gornick died at the scene, Bowen said.

"Based on everything we know this is an accident," said Chief Bowen. "It's one the most tragic accidents I've seen in my 25 years of law enforcement."

Reached by phone at his home Sunday night, Poquoson High School Principal Bernard Wright said, "This was a tragic accident. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this young man."

"Our crisis team will be there [Monday] with our counselors and counselors from other schools," said Principal Wright.

Wright deferred further questions to the school district spokesperson.

Many areas, including Poquoson, are still cleaning up following a Nor'easter two weeks ago.

[michelle]

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_n...ident_20091122

link to image

That is one huge chipper. How completely fucked up is this? Just a kid doing some work over the weekend. BAM! Your life is over.

[moonlilly1981]

ewwww

[backlash]

*Ignoring the fact that this is a tragic story*

High five michelle for the funniest title...ever.

[RaVen Blackehart]

...the shovel he was using got caught in the blades and pulled him into the machine."

He couldn't have let go of the shovel? Don't woodchippers have some kind of safety features on them?

[koochie]

He couldn't have let go of the shovel? Don't woodchippers have some kind of safety features on them?

im sure it happened so fast that he probably was dead before he realized what was happening...RIP poor boy.

[cubby]

He was too young to be using the woodchipper. The kids under age 18 that work retail are not even allowed to use a boxcutter. They weren't allowed to shove the boxes down the trash shute, no moving parts. I suspect, if this business is not owned by this family, a law suit in the works.

Too young to die so horribly.

[RaVen Blackehart]

Facebook group for Frank Gornick:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...7404478?ref=mf

[malq]

Police have identified the 14-year-old who died Sunday while working with a wood chipper as Frank Anthony Gornik.

He was working as part of a three-person crew removing debris and tree limbs from a house on Wagner Road about 3 p.m. Sunday, Poquoson police Chief Cliff Bowen said. He was using a shovel to drop debris into the hopper of a large wood chipper when the shovel apparently got caught in the blades, and the boy was dragged into the machine.

He died instantly, Bowen said.

Grief counselors were at Poquoson High School and Poquoson Middle School on Monday. Frank was popular, and the school superintendent wanted to make sure there were counselors available for any students who knew him at the two schools, Bowen said.

The boy was being remembered in a Facebook group, "In Loving Memory of Frank Gornik." Within an hour of the group's creation Sunday night, it had more than 300 fans. By Monday night, there were more than 1,250.

Frank's parents died before him, according to a 2007 obituary for his father. He had a brother and a sister.

[Just my luck sucks]

Poor kid. His parents died before him, probably just trying his best to make his way in the world. The video report does say it was his families business.

How in the world could you make yourself ---ever use that machine again?

[koochie]

how tragic, his poor siblings...to have such a sad life...God give them strength

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The guardian of a Poquoson boy killed last November in a wood chipper accident has been indicted on criminal charges related to the 14-year-old's death.

Court records show Robert Lee Strickland Jr. was indicted by a York-Poquoson Circuit Court grand jury late last month on a felony charge of child cruelty and a misdemeanor employer safety violation resulting in death. He has a court date scheduled for Nov. 18, at which time a trial date will be set.
[...]

Gornik, along with a brother and sister, had lived at the Strickland's home following the deaths of their parents in recent years.

In May, The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry's Occupational Safety and Health Compliance Department cited Old Dominion Tree and Lawn Care Specialists, Inc. with two violations that were characterized in associated documents as "Serious" and "Willful" and issued total fines of $185,500.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/york-...,2424954.story

[cubby]

Too young to be using a giant death machine such as a woodchipper, so sorry for the young man to have died this way.

[Kitty]

Too young to be using a giant death machine such as a woodchipper, so sorry for the young man to have died this way.

This happened in my area (Michelle beat me to it) and I still get the heebies when I go past them damn chippers.

Worst part IMO is that he was trying to do a good deed and help clean up his neighborhood after we had a huge nor'easter last fall.

[Kitty]

— The guardian of a 14-year-old who was killed almost two years ago in a wood chipper will not be prosecuted on a felony child endangerment charge.

The York-Poquoson Commonwealth's Attorney's Office dropped the felony charge against Robert Lee Strickland Jr. during court Thursday, said Patricia A. Dart, assistant commonwealth's attorney. Instead, he pleaded guilty on behalf of his company to a misdemeanor charge of employer safety violation resulting in death.

Virginia Department of Labor and Industry will be monitoring the company's compliance with its guidelines, Dart said. She said it is also pursuing a civil case against Strickland's company.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/york-...,4524322.story

[malq]

The employer should countersue for the kid dulling the blades. That is expensive when you push bone thru chippers.

[Kitty]

The employer should countersue for the kid dulling the blades. That is expensive when you push bone thru chippers.

It would be easy to agree, but since the employer was also the boy's family I think it would be counter productive.

[malq]

It would be easy to agree, but since the employer was also the boy's family I think it would be counter productive.

@Kitty
Ouch, I guess my morbid funny went flat :p