Logging accident claims man's life

A Coffee County man died Monday, May 12 following a logging accident off Jim Perkins Hollow Road near Bradyville.

Jerry Wayne Wiser, 38, of Hoodoo Road in Beech Grove was pronounced dead at Stones River Hospital following the accident.

Wiser was cutting trees along with Donald Curlee and another man on a hillside, reported Investigator Brandon Gullett of the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department.

“Donald stated that Jerry had stopped to sharpen his blade on his saw when the male subject on the top the
hill stated a tree was going to fall. Donald stated that he and Jerry took off running saws in hand,” Gullett said.

Curlee heard the tree fall and branches from it hit him. “He then stated what when he turned to ask Jerry
if he was OK, he observed that Jerry was pinned between two trees,” the investigator said.

Curlee witnessed Wiser trying to get one of the trees off his chest, but Curlee was forced to cut the tree with his saw to free Wiser. Once he was free, Wiser fell to his knees and was in extreme pain.
Curlee helped the injured man down the hill to logging company owner Eddie Lee Alford’s truck. Alford drove Wiser to the hospital.

“Jerry continued to talk during the ride until he got to the four lane,” Gullett said. At that point, Wiser laid his head down against the truck’s window. They arrived at the hospital at 12:01 p.m. And Wiser was pronounced dead at 12:18 after suffering severe trauma to the chest.

Wiser is survived by his wife, Jesse Nichole Spry Wiser of Beech Grove, in addition to other relatives and friends.

Visitation and his funeral were held at Central Funeral home, Manchester, with burial in Farrar Hill Cemetery.