Jun 13, 2012

One dead, one injured in cherry chopper crash

A passenger died and the pilot was seriously injured June 12 when a helicopter drying cherries in an East Wenatchee orchard crashed.

The helicopter’s main rotor clipped a power line, causing it to crash in the orchard, said Harvey Gjesdal, Douglas County sheriff.

The passenger, Andrew D. Ridge, 28, Lewisville, Texas, died from his injuries at Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, Gjesdal said.

The pilot, Jeffory C. Walker, 31, Laredo, Texas, was taken to the Wenatchee hospital and then transferred to Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle. Capitol Press

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