A man died while working with a tractor in Sonoma County Tuesday morning, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health confirmed.
The tractor operator was fatally injured at about 7:30 a.m. while cleaning mower equipment at 2340 Napa Road, according to a report that Cal/OSHA received from Walsh Vineyards Management.
Sonoma County sheriff's deputies responded to the accident and found that the worker died after becoming trapped and crushed under a tiller attachment.
The man was originally trying to free vineyard wire from a tractor's tilling tines, according to deputies. Another worker found the man dead under the tiller and notified authorities.
Cal/OSHA is currently investigating the death, and agency spokesman Frank Polizzi said inspections generally take a few weeks to several months. The division has six months to issue citations for any violations of workplace safety regulations.
The department did not provide further information about the victim's identity, and sheriff's deputies said the man's family has not been contacted.
