An employee at a Minnesota tree cutting company faces a second-degree involuntary murder charge after he, according to authorities, crushed a colleague’s head while both were playing with the shadows during a working day.
The incident occurred on Thursday in Apple Valley, when Christopher Boone Crimmins, 34, operated machinery installed on the back of a truck, while his 26-year-old partner, Tyler Anthony Lynch, was on the ground collecting branches, according to a criminal complaint filed by Dakota County.
Police came to the scene after receiving a report on an incident and found Lynch stretched on the ground with a considerable amount of blood and a strong trauma to the head.
Lynch was declared dead on the spot, according to county authorities.
Crimmins was handling a hydraulic grip, a mobile mechanical arm connected to the truck and used to collect and remove branches and other tree debris.
According to the researchers, Crimmins and Lynch began to play with the shadows that projected the machinery and the worker onto the street due to sunlight.
The complaint notes that both were “f—ing around,” a speech in English used to describe that they were playing or doing the fool.
While observing the shadows, Crimmins would have moved the tail so that the shadow of the mechanism seemed to catch Lynch’s shadow.
However, authorities argue that the worker did not notice that the royal tail was also moving toward his partner’s head.
According to the Dakota County Prosecutor’s Office, Crimmins was not directly observing neither the hydraulic grip nor Lynch while manipulating the equipment.
“Crimmins wasn’t monitoring the royal fist or Lynch, then he opened and closed the fist, crushing Lynch’s head,” officials said in the complaint.
A witness also observed the moment of the accident and stated that the tail seemed to have hit or trapped Lynch’s head as he approached him.
Prosecutors argue that Crimmins acted negligently when operating the machine and that his behavior created an unjustified risk to his partner's life.
The accusation states that the worker would have consciously assumed a risk that could result in death or serious injury.
Crimmins was charged with a serious charge of second-degree involuntary murder.If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
Crimmins remains detained in the Dakota County prison.
A judge imposed a bail of $40,000 without conditions or $20,000 with conditions, according to the authorities.
The case remains in the hands of the prosecutors as the court proceedings proceed.
Lynch's death occurred during a working day dedicated to tree cutting and cleaning, and the investigation focuses on determining the exact circumstances that led to the hydraulic clutch movement and the fatal impact.
