By Lisa Irizarry
Newsday
SOUTHAMPTON TOWN, N.Y. — A Southampton Town police officer recovered severed fingers for possible reattachment after a 38-year-old Pennsylvania man working as a subcontractor for PSEG Long Island got his hand caught in a shredder in Riverhead on Wednesday.
Southampton Town Police Lt. Susan Ralph declined to identify the victim. She said four fingers from his right hand were recovered by Officer John Kuey who took them to Peconic Bay Medical Center.
According to a news release, the incident happened shortly after 8:15 a.m. on West Main Street when the man was trying to remove a block of ice that was lodged in the shredder.
The man’s glove was caught in the spinner and when his hand was pulled the fingers were severed, the release said.
Ralph, who said the victim is from Halstead, Pennsylvania, said he had been working outside when the accident happened but she did not know what type of work he was doing at the time or what the shredder was being used for.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it is investigating the case.
A PSEG spokeswoman said she would look into the incident to see if she could provide further details.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Southampton police detective division at 631-702-2230.
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