A Minnesota tree trimmer is accused of fatally injuring a coworker with a hydraulic grapple while the two were joking around on a job site and making shadow puppets, authorities said.
Christopher Boone Crimmins, 34, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Tyler Anthony Lynch, 26, following the Aug. 20 incident during tree-trimming work in Apple Valley, according to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
Crimmins was positioned atop a boom and operating the equipment from his seat while Lynch, who was from Royalton, collected branches on the ground, the criminal complaint states.
Crimmins told investigators the two were “f—king around” after noticing that sunlight had cast the shadows of both Lynch and the grapple onto the street, according to the complaint.
He allegedly moved the hydraulic grapple in a joking attempt to make its shadow look as if it were grabbing Lynch’s shadow, but failed to notice the actual equipment had moved close to his coworker’s head.
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Crimmins then closed the grapple, crushing Lynch’s head, prosecutors said in the filing.
Responding officers found Lynch on the ground with a large amount of blood around his body and what was described as “a significant injury” to his head.
Authorities said Lynch was later pronounced dead.
Lynch frequently posted pictures and videos of his tree trimming jobs and inspirational quotes on Facebook.
“I can tell we lost one of the best. RIP buddy,” one user wrote under pictures of his haul of lumber in the back of a truck.
Crimmins was cuffed and booked in the Dakota County Jail, where he has been held on $40,000 bail without conditions, or $20,000 with conditions, prosecutors said.
He is slated to return to court on Sept. 10.
