A 54-year-old Wright County farmer was killed while working with a corn chopper Friday evening.

The accident happened in Stockholm Township, which is in the southwest corner of the county, about 6:30 p.m., authorities said.

The man's identity was being withheld pending notification of his next of kin, said Wright County Sheriff's Sgt. Butch Darsow.

The farmer had been trying to cut and chop up corn that blew over in a windy rainstorm on Thursday for use as silage. But cornstalks became entangled in the head of the Claas cornstalk chopper. As the man tried to clear out the stalks, he became entangled in the chopper, Darsow said.

Two friends witnessed the accident but weren't able to rescue the farmer, the sergeant said.

"It was over in a flash," he said. "Nothing could be done."

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Joy Powell