Man dies in wood chipper accident in Flemington

Flemington police were called to St. Magdalen Cemetery, where they found the man’s body shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

July 12, 2024, 10:29 a.m. EDT | Updated July 12, 2024, 10:48 a.m. EDT

HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ — A Flemington man is dead after he was involved in an accident involving a wood chipper while working at a Hunterdon County cemetery, according to authorities.

Flemington police were called to St. Magdalen Cemetery shortly before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, where they found the body of 22-year-old Eonias Mateo-Perez, the Hunterdon County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

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Authorities later determined that Mateo-Perez had suffered fatal injuries while operating a tree chipper. He was pronounced dead at the scene, prosecutors said.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Authority are investigating the incident. It is believed to have been an accident and no crime is suspected.

According to a New York Daily News report, OSHA said Mateo-Perez was an employee of William LaRue Services.