A tree trimmer working in Saltville, Virginia, died this week after he was pulled head-first into a wood chipper.

The incident happened Tuesday at about 11:30 a.m. No one else on the work crew saw how the man started getting pulled into the machine, and law enforcement said his death was a tragic accident.

“It’s an unfortunate incident and I hate that it happened,” Saltville Police Department Chief Erik Puckett told the Smyth County News & Messenger.

Neither the victim nor his employer were named by police. Public identification of the man is pending for notification of his loved ones.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating the incident.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.