Boy Killed by Wood Chipper

(Poquoson, Virginia) A local high school freshman, Frank Anthony Gornik, died last Sunday in a wood chipper accident.

Gornik, 14, was accidentally killed while using a commercial wood chipper to dispose of storm debris created by the recent nor'easter, Poquoson police Chief Cliff Bowen said.

Gornik was with two workers from Old Dominion Tree and Lawn Care at the time of the accident. The teenager had been living with the company's owner, Robert Strickland, and his wife since the death of both his parents.

The Virginia Department of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating.

According to Poquoson Police Chief Cliff Bowen, Gornik was gathering piles of debris and feeding them into the chipper. He used a shovel to push the debris into the chipper when he was sucked in completely. Bowen said Gornik died instantly.

Tragic life, tragic story.