Isiah Bedocs: Pennsylvania teen dies tragically after getting 'partially pulled' into a wood chipper
COPLAY, PENNSYLVANIA: A 17-year-old Pennsylvania boy has died after getting pulled into a wood chipper while working, according to authorities. Isiah M Bedocs, of Coplay, died from "multiple traumatic injuries" he suffered Tuesday afternoon, August 9. He "was partly pulled into a commercial wood chipper" on Excelsior Road in North Whitehall Township, according to Lehigh County Coroner's Office.
ABC6 reported that Pennsylvania State Police troopers said the boy's clothing got caught on the machinery. Bedocs was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where he died of his injuries, according to a public report filed by the Pennsylvania State Police. The coroner's office has ruled the teen's death an accident. As per the reports of the New York Post, he was pronounced dead at 2.55 pm. The teen's official cause of death is yet to be released, as officials and relatives await autopsy results.
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Bedocs was an incoming senior at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, where he had signed up for the school's auto technology program. In a statement released on Thursday, the institute located in Schnecksville, said it was 'in mourning' over the student's death. "Our hearts are with his family members and friends as they grapple with this unimaginable tragedy," the school's statement read. "Counselors will be provided to students who may be struggling in the wake of the event," it added, offering mental health services to those in need.
A neighbor who lives near the scene described the tragedy as “unnerving.” “It’s very sad for what happened to the young man,” the woman, who declined to share her identity, added. “I’m very sorry he didn’t make it.” The woman further told ABC6 that she had seen other personnel work on the site for several days. The homeowner who hired the tree cutting service initially wanted 10 trees on his property to be removed, the local news outlet reported. It remains unclear if he is liable for the teen's death. As of Thursday, a Go Fund Me Page for Bedocs had raised $3,310 out of a $5,000 goal to pay for funeral expenses.
An investigation into Tuesday's incident is ongoing, according to the PSP and coroner's office. The Bethlehem Criminal Investigation Unit and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are assisting.
MEAWW previously reported the death of an 18-year-old teen, Christopher Cassaniti, who lost his life in 2020, when a 15-meter tower of scaffolding collapsed on top of him at Macquarie Park in Sydney. Patrizia, his mother, who served coffee at a mobile truck down the road, rushed to the site within minutes after she was told her son was trapped.