Safety & education:

Tree Worker killed by falling limb:

TRENTON — A 47-year-old man was killed Saturday evening when he was struck by a falling branch while he was working with a tree-removal crew.

Tibor Lukacs of Riverview, an employee of Downriver Tree Service Inc., died on the job at 7:30 p.m. at 1951 Riverside Drive.

Lukacs was part of a five-man crew removing branches at a residence on West Jefferson that abuts the Riverside property. He was struck on the head by the tree branch. Lukacs was on the ground near a chipper that was being used to grind the large cottonwood's limbs into sawdust when the accident occurred.

Workers already had cut through three branches with a chainsaw and eased them down to the machine for processing when a 5/8-inch bull rope snapped and the branch gave way. Crew members yelled "headache" to warn those on the ground to get clear, police officials said, but Lukacs went back for his sunglasses.

Lukacs died instantly when the branch fell on him. A nearby fence also was damaged. The workers told police the ground was clear when they began cutting the branch after an initial check. Downriver Tree Service owner Ronald Cassizzi had sent his crew to do some work for Riverside resident Timothy Dickey, according to a police report.

The tree branches had been dropping leaves on Dickey's property, and with his neighbor's permission, Dickey called in the crew to trim the branches, the report said.

Downriver Tree Service is licensed, but had no insurance coverage at the time of the accident, according to statements Cassizzi made to police. No criminal charges were filed.