Tree-trimmer killed in horrific wood chipper incident

A worker on a tree-trimming crew in Menlo Park was killed Tuesday in an incident involving a wood-chipper, CBS News Bay Area reports. Video showed police and fire department personnel gathered around a wood chipper that had a yellow tarp covering a portion of the machine.

The county coroner's office identified the man as Jesus Contreras Benitez, 47, of Redwood City.

Menlo Park police said officers responding to a report of a tree-trimmer who'd fallen into a wood chipper found a man dead from injuries sustained in the incident.

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District and the San Mateo County Coroner's Office also responded. 

The Cal/OSHA Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the death. Officials said the company doing the tree trimming is S.P.  McLenanhan. 

Cal/OSHA has up to six month to determine if there was a safety issue at the work site and to issue any citations.

Menlo Park is some 25 miles south of San Francisco.