Young Boy Dies in Horrific Accident

Jeffrey Bourgeois, age 6, of Salem died Tuesday morning after becoming entangled in a wood chipper while on a job site with his father.

The accident, which was witnessed by two of the boy's siblings, happened about 8:45 a.m., said Lt. J. Paul Vance, state police spokesman. 

State Police Troop K, the Salem Resident State Trooper, Salem Fire Department and Salem EMS all responded to the scene of the accident.

Upon arrival, police say, it was learned that a 6-year-old child had been fatally injured in the yard by a wood chipper. Troopers secured the scene and the State Police Major Crime Squad were called in to investigate the child’s death.

According to a report by the state police, a preliminary investigation determined that the child’s father was performing tree work at a private residence and that his three children had accompanied him to the work site.

As the father was working, the 6-year-old child picked up a branch to put into the wood chipper. The child became entangled and was pulled into the chipper. 

The father, owner of a tree removal service, was working at a client’s home at Brookside Road in Salem at the time of the accident.