Coquille man dies in logging accident

COQUILLE, Ore. — The authorities say an Oregon man died instantly this week when a large maple tree fell on him.

Richard Fortune was cutting down a cedar tree on his property southeast of Coquille when the incident happened Wednesday.

The Coos County Sheriff’s Office said the roots of the cedar had grown entangled with those of the maple. When the cedar tree fell, the maple also toppled.

A friend used an excavator to lift the tree off the 60-year-old victim.

The Coos County Medical Examiner’s office is investigating.

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