JAMESBURG, N.J. -- A man who works at a tree removal company was horrified when a tree he was taking down struck a second tree, which fell and killed his son on Wednesday.

Jerrold Love, 28, was killed in what police are terming a tragic accident.

"I saw the tree go down and hit the other tree, and I said, 'Please don't let anybody be over there,"' neighbor Robert Cunha told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Thursday's newspapers. "Then I heard the screams."

Acting Police Chief Paul Karkoska said it appeared the roots on the second tree had rotted away, making it susceptible to falling.

"It's being treated as a horrible accident," Karkoska told The Home News Tribune of East Brunswick. "It's a bad thing to happen at this time of year, but anytime a father sees his son die in front of him, it's a horrible thing."

"I've been trying to see if I can figure out what happened," said Robert Love, 69, who was pulling down the first tree when the accident happened. "I still don't understand. Jerrold could run. He was no slouch."

The victim's mother had just dropped off pizza for her husband and sons when the tree fell, and witnessed the death.

The family used chain saws to cut Jerrold Love free, but he was pronounced dead 30 minutes later.