Tree Trimmer Charged With Manslaughter After Workplace Prank Goes Horrifically Wrong

There’s a time and place for pranks, and workplaces are usually neither. This is especially true in workplaces that use heavy machinery, as one Minnesota tree trimmer recently learned.

Per NBC News, 34-year-old Christopher Boone Crimmins was charged with second-degree manslaughter after a prank involving a hydraulic grappler went horrifically wrong, killing his 26-year-old co-worker Tyler Anthony Lynch. Crimmins told police that the two were “f—— around” during a tree trimming job when the incident happened. The prank led to the hydraulic grappler closing around Lynch’s head. (For those unfamiliar with this machinery, it looks like a giant claw and is used for grabbing debris.)

According to the criminal complaint filed in Dakota County, when police arrived after being called to the scene, they discovered Lynch “on the ground with a significant amount of blood around him and significant trauma to his head.”

A lack of attention played a role in Lynch’s death

When the incident occurred, the two men had been working for a few hours clearing away branches, with Crimmins operating the machinery because he was the only member of the crew with a commercial license to do so. Lynch was on the ground, picking up branches. Although workplaces like this one require the utmost safety to prevent accidents, the two were also playing around.

Crimmins told police that while they were working and messing around, they noticed sunlight casting shadows of both Lynch and the grapple on the ground. Crimmins jokingly began maneuvering the grapple to make it seem as if the grapple’s shadow was grabbing Lynch’s shadow. However, as he was watching the shadows and not the actual machinery or his co-worker, he didn’t realize that the grapple had actually moved toward Lynch’s head until he had closed it and crushed Lynch’s head. He also stated to police that he wasn’t aware of any mechanical problems or other issues with the truck or boom.

According to the complaint, a witness also stated that they saw the grapple “hit or pinch the victim’s head, causing significant injury and trauma to his head.”

Lynch was pronounced dead at the scene.

Crimmins faces possible prison time

Workplace accidents, even if not deadly, can result in significant consequences for those involved. In Crimmins’ case, he could face up to 10 years in prison. For now, though, his bail has been set at $20,000 with conditions or $40,000 unconditional. The county attorney’s office reportedly said he is due in court again on September 10, 2026.

Meanwhile, people are feeling Lynch’s loss. Lynch often posted photos and videos of his work on Facebook, per the New York Post. On one of his posts featuring a lumber haul, someone commented, “I can tell we lost one of the best. RIP buddy.”

Another Facebook user added, “Only the good die young,” while yet another commented, “My heart is broken.”

Additionally, the county attorney expressed their sympathies to Lynch’s family members and friends, per The Inquisitr: “My deepest condolences to Mr. Lynch’s family members and friends, and all those affected by his death.”

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