Teen worker dies after incident involving wood chipper, authorities say. ID released. (UPDATE)

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MORE: Funeral held for wood-chipper accident victim as emergency responders recover from horrific scene

UPDATE: The teenager who died after an accident on Tuesday afternoon involving a commercial wood chipper has been identified was Isiah M. Bedocs, 17, of Coplay, the Lehigh County coroner reports.

Bedocs was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township after the 1:39 p.m. incident in the 3700 block of Excelsior Road on North Whitehall Township, Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said in a Wednesday morning news release.

Bedocs died from multiple traumatic injuries, Buglio said. The death was ruled an accident, Buglio added.

Bedocs, who was working for a tree removal company, was partially pulled into the wood chipper, Buglio and Pennsylvania State Police said.

INITIAL REPORTING: A 17-year-old boy from Coplay died after an incident involving a wood chipper on Tuesday afternoon in North Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania State Police confirm.

The incident was reported at 1:39 p.m. in the 3700 block of Excelsior Road, Trooper Nathan Branosky told lehighvalleylive.com on Wednesday morning.

The boy, who was working with another person on a tree cutting job, was critically injured after his clothing was caught as he used the wood chipper, Branosky said. Troopers and emergency medical personnel treated the teenager before he was flown by medical helicopter to an area hospital, Branosky said.

Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said the teen was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. An autopsy was planned for 8 a.m. Wednesday to determine the cause and manner of death, he said.

Buglio said he is planning to provide more information after the autopsy.

The state police Criminal Investigation Unit out of Bethlehem is heading the investigation with the assistance of the coroner’s office, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Stew’s Towing, Branosky said.

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Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.

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