California man fatally impaled on fence after falling from tree

[March 23, 2015]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California man who authorities believe had been drinking in a tree outside of his home was fatally impaled when he accidentally fell from its branches and landed on a spiked fence, police said on Wednesday.

The body of the man, who was not named, was found by officers early on Wednesday morning in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Officer Liliana Preciado.

"It appears that the individual may have been drinking on top of a tree and he accidentally fell and impaled himself," Preciado said. "This is being investigated as an accidental death."

About a dozen beer cans were found at the scene, Los Angeles Police Captain Brian Pratt told KTLA TV.

"I think there was a party earlier at the house that evening," he said.

There was no immediate word on how long the body had been on the fence. The man appeared to have been impaled through the face and neck, Los Angeles Police Sergeant Melvin Gamble told the Los Angeles Times.

"Over the years, you see stuff like this," Gamble told the newspaper. "You still don't get used to it."

(Reporting by Michael Fleeman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Sandra Maler)

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.