APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man has been charged after he accidentally crushed his coworker's head in a hydraulic grapple, killing him in Apple Valley.
Apple Valley death charges
What we know:
Court documents state that 34-year-old Christopher Boone Crimmins has been charged with one count of second-degree manslaughter.
According to the charges, Apple Valley police officers responded to an incident on 132nd Street West involving a hydraulic grapple and tree-trimming in the area on Aug. 20, 2026.
At the scene, officers found a 26-year-old man on the ground in a large puddle of blood, and "significant" trauma to his head. He was declared dead at the scene.
Officers then spoke with Crimmins, who said he and the victim were employed by a tree-trimming company, and they had just arrived a few hours earlier from a job in Plymouth.
Crimmins told officers he was the only one on the crew with a commercial driver's license and was the one to drive and operate a hydraulic grapple that was on the back of a truck, court documents said. He said he was unaware of any mechanical issues with the truck or grapple.
Crimmins allegedly told officers he was on top of the grapple, operating it from his seat while the victim was on the ground cleaning up branches.
The charges say Crimmins said he and the victim were "f--king around" and "saw that the sunlight was casting shadows of both the grapple and of the victim on the street."
Crimmins then moved the grapple while looking at the shadows to make it appear like the shadow of the grapple was grabbing the shadow of the victim, court documents said.
During this, Crimmins did not see the grapple going towards the victim's head, and he closed the grapple and crushed the victim's head.
The charges say that a witness at the scene saw the grapple come towards the victim and either "hit or pinch" his head. There was also blood on the grapple.
What's next:
Crimmins was arrested after the incident and currently remains in the Dakota County Jail. He had his first court appearance Friday afternoon, where his bail was set to $40,000 without conditions and $20,000 with conditions.
He has an omnibus hearing scheduled for Sept. 10.
The Source: Court documents out of Dakota County.