Man dies after being struck by falling tree limb

Fulton County deputies responded to a call about a man who was unresponsive after being struck by a tree when he and others were cutting it down.

The accident happened on Saturday around 4:25 p.m.

Police say someone called about a man down in the 3700 block of 500 North in Rochester.

The caller said the man was hit by a tree and was not responsive or breathing.

Emergency units responded and found a male subject deceased upon their arrival.

The Fulton County Sheriff's Department was also dispatched and a formal death investigation was initiated.

Police say 55-year-old Carl Andrew Richard of Rochester and two other men were in the process of cutting down a large tree near a barn on the farm.

According to witnesses on scene, Richard was cutting down the tree when it fell and he was unable to get out of the path of the tree in time.

Police say Richard was struck by a 10-12" diameter limb approximately 15 feet in length.

The limb broke from the falling tree hitting Richard which resulted in his death caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

An autopsy was performed on Sunday, April 10th, 2016.

According to Fulton County Coroner Darin Beeker, pending further, his initial ruling will be an accidental death due to blunt force trauma.