Coroner's office identifies Rochelle machinery operator killed Saturday near Union

The Rochelle man who died Saturday after a tree fell on the excavating equipment was operating has been identified as 57-year-old Eric Malaker.

Malaker was operating the machinery in Union when a tree fell on the cab, killing him, according to a news release from the McHenry County Coroner's Office on Monday.

Sheriff's deputies responded at 1:41 p.m. to the 8100 block of Leech Road in an unincorporated area near Union to assist area firefighters, Sheriff’s Deputy Sandra Rogers said.

When they arrived, they found the excavator with a tree on it. Malaker was pronounced dead at the scene. There did not appear to be anything suspicious about the situation, police have said.