104828 - CARRS TREE SERVICE INC

Employee is killed when crushed under ATV

At 11:00 a.m. on July 22, 2022, an employee was driving an all terrain vehicle (Polaris 450) that was equipped with a full 25 gallon spray tank that had been ratchet strapped to the rear behind the driver's seat. The employee was traveling west on parcel # .07.0009.00, which was located west of Dunn Road in Jefferson Township in Houston County, MN. The employee was spraying herbicide under overhead electrical lines at that location. While the employee traveled west, she went down an embankment sideways, which caused the vehicle to rollover. The employee was thrown off during the rollover onto her back. The vehicle then came to rest on its right side facing west. The employee's head and neck became trapped underneath the rear tire and right side fender. The crash was not witnessed, and a coworker found the employee approximately 20 minutes after he had just had contact with the employee. The coworker was able to remove the spray tank and pull the Polaris 450 off of the employee. The coworker performed CPR while emergency responders were in route. The employee was given a medical automated external defibrillator (AED) on scene by emergency responders, but was pronounced dead while still at the scene.