18-year-old dies after log splitter rolls down slope and hits him, NY cops say

An 18-year-old died after being hit by a log splitter, New York officials said.

On July 16, the man, later identified as Brandon Gmelin, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, was trying to move a log splitter that was delivered to a Westchester county home for scheduled landscaping, according to a news release by New York State Police.

Gmelin was trying to move the log splitter when it rolled down a slope and fatally hit him, troopers said.

Lewisboro officers responded to the home and performed life-saving efforts but Gmelin was pronounced dead, troopers said.

The investigation remains ongoing but troopers don’t suspect foul play.

Lewisboro is about a 70-mile drive northeast from New York City.

This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM with the headline "18-year-old dies after log splitter rolls down slope and hits him, NY cops say."