HOWARD TOWNSHIP — A woman’s leg got caught in the blade of a stump grinder while she and her husband were working in Niles Tuesday morning.

Howard Township Fire Chief Ed Leneway said the woman’s clothing got caught in the blade, causing her right leg to be pulled into the device around 11:30 a.m.

Leneway said the victim was conscious, but in pain while first responders worked to free her from the machine. It took about a half hour before she was freed and transported by ambulance to Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

Leneway said he does not believe her wounds were life threatening.

A resident, who asked not to be identified by name, said the accident occurred in his yard, located in the 1200 block of Broad Street in Howard Township. He said he hired a tree service company to grind a stump in his yard. The people working were husband and wife, he said.

The resident said he learned about the accident when the male worker pounded on his door, saying his wife got hit by the stump grinder.

The victim’s leg was caught in the grinder up to the middle of her calf, the resident said.

Several departments assisted Howard Township at the scene, including Niles Township Fire, Niles City Fire and the Niles Fire Technical Rescue Team.

Leneway said they had to disassemble the machine in order to free the victim.

As the victim was taken away, first responders could be seen comforting the victim’s husband, who declined to talk about the accident.