It was 1:00 p.m. when Jesús Contreras Benítez, 47, was chopping trees on the 900 block of Page Lane in Menlo Park, authorities said.
When police arrived at the scene, the worker died from his injuries. The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the incident, according to the Menlo Park Police Department.
Video from the scene shows police and firefighters at a narrow stage with tree limbs in the street next to a wood shredder.
Noah Goldberg covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. He previously worked in New York City as a Brooklyn court reporter for the New York Daily News, covering major criminal trials as well as corporate coverage. Prior to that, he was a criminal law reporter for the Brooklyn Eagle.