Man's leg severed in job-site accident

By Sarah Langbein, Rocky Mountain News January 17, 2006
A 33-year-old Thornton man's leg was severed Monday morning in an industrial accident.
Mario Lujan's leg got caught in a trencher, a small tractor with a chainsaw-like digger attached to the back, while a co-worker was digging a septic line, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office reported.
Hospital officials said Lujan was in serious but stable condition. They declined to release any additional details about his injuries.
The accident happened around 9:30 a.m. in the 44000 block of East Mexico Avenue at a home under construction.
Roger Waychoff, 53, a subcontractor at the site, was driving the trencher. He told authorities that the last time he saw Lujan, his co-worker was 10 feet behind the machine. Then he heard Lujan screaming.
Lujan's leg was severed at the knee. Waychoff told deputies that he used his belt as a tourniquet and called for help on his cell phone.
Officials with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are expected to investigate the incident. The office was closed for the federal holiday Monday, and a spokesman could not be reached for comment.