PORT ANGELES — A father of two from Forks, a state Department of Transportation worker, died Thursday morning after a tree branch fell on him while he was helping to clear another tree that had fallen near the Indian Valley truck scales.
Forks resident Neal Richards, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene by the State Patrol and Clallam County Fire District No. 2 medical emergency technicians shortly after the branch hit him at about 10:30 a.m.
Removing fallen tree
Richards, a maintenance lead technician, and five other Transportation workers were removing a fallen tree on the side of U.S. Highway 101 at Milepost 237 about 11 miles west of Port Angeles.
His death — the sole known loss of life on the North Olympic Peninsula because of this week’s storms — was noted by Transportation officials and the governor.
“This tragic event is a reminder of the danger many of our state workers are exposed to while doing their jobs and serving the people of our state,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire, who ordered all flags on public property to be lowered to half-staff this Monday.
“My heart goes out to his family, co-workers at DOT and friends during this most difficult time.”
Richards was the father of two boys — 10 and 12 years old — said Forks Mayor Nedra Reed.
“He was a Forks boy, born and raised,” she said.
‘One of our own’
“He was one of our own, and we are devastated at the loss.”
Reed said Richards, who had recently remarried, worked as a Forks police officer for nine years. He joined Transportation in 1998.
Transportation spokeswoman Kelly Stowe said Richards was using a chain saw to cut up a fallen tree when a branch from another tree came loose and hit him. It was unclear why the branch from the other tree fell.
She said the fallen tree was not resting on that branch, and it remained unknown if it was knocked loose by the tree when it fell.
Stowe said the fallen tree was not blocking either of the highway’s lanes, although it may have been blocking a portion of the shoulder.
Transportation workers reviewed safety procedures before attempting to remove the tree, she said.
“I think it just was one of those things that all the planning in the world wouldn’t prevent,” she said.
“They couldn’t have foreseen the branch from coming the way it came and landing the way it did.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@ peninsuladailynews.com.
