The founder of an elephant sanctuary in Maine was accidentally crushed to death by the animals, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

Jim Laurita, executive director of Hope Elephants, was found unresponsive in a barn in Hope, Maine, this morning by authorities, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office. Laurita was routinely tending to the elephants when he fell and struck his head on a cement floor.

"The investigation shows that the injuries are consistent, while Dr. Laurita was on the ground from a fall that one of the elephants accidentally stepped on Dr. Laurita causing internal injuries with multiple fractures and ultimately causing asphyxia," the statement said. The death has been ruled accidental.

Laurita, who received his doctorate in