Vermonter Killed In Stephentown Logging Accident

by David Flint
A Vermont man was killed last week in a logging accident in Stephentown. According to New York State Police, William J. Morse, Jr., 23, of East Arlington, VT, was logging with a family member at about 10 am on Thursday, August 29, on Black River Road when a tree he was cutting down struck another decomposing tree. That tree broke and came down on Morse.
[private]Stephentown Fire Department Assistant Chief Rik McClave said that 14 persons from the Department responded to the scene along with State Police and County Ambulance from Pittsfield. Morse was transported to a landing zone set up on Newton Road for Albany Life Flight Service. Extrication by Police and Fire Department personnel, McClave said, was hindered due to the remote location back in the woods.
State Police reported that resuscitation efforts at the scene were unsuccessful and Morse succumbed to his injuries.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, logging has consistently been one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. In 2010 there were 70 deaths among 95,000 workers resulting in a fatality rate over 21 times higher than the overall fatality rate in the US.[/private]