John O’Neill’s life-changing accident on his first day at work. In a tragic incident, a Colorado man lost both his legs in a wood chipper accident just 15 minutes into his first day on the job. John O’Neill, 33, was operating a wood chipper in Longmont, Colorado, when a branch became entangled with his court-ordered ankle monitor, pulling him into the machine. The accident occurred at approximately 10:18 a.m. on September 24, leaving O’Neill severely injured.