Local Man Critically Injured In Tractor Rollover Accident

[ScoutmasterRick]

Not a lot of information, but I do know there are some very high, steep banks along the highway in that vicinity. The article says he was thrown from the tractor, but it sounds like a straightforward rollover.

56-year-old man thrown from tractor
Posted by Kim Albright September 01, 2009 10:25 PM
Categories: Breaking News

HUNTSVILLE - A 56-year-old man was critically hurt when he was thrown from a tractor about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Don Webster, Chief Operating Officer for HEMSI says John Barnett was apparently bush-hogging along Highway 72 near the Gurley Post Office when he was thrown from the tractor and the tractor rolled over him.

He was found by a passing motorists who called 911. Barnett was taken to Huntsville Hospital Trauma Services by Med-flight.

Link to story.

 

[Woodcutteranon]

Ugh...

Tractors are dangerous. My farm is totally flat and I still take precautions for a rollover. You never know when you may hit a stump or rock when turning.

Thanks for posting. I hope the operator is ok.

 

[hanniedog]

Farming is a dangerous business. Given the variety of things done you need to be on your toes all the time or your ass is grass in a heart beat.

 

[ScoutmasterRick]

Follow up: The tractor operator died from his injuries.

 

[hanniedog]

May he RIP.

 

[A. Stanton]

My wife took a defense driving course. The instructor said: "Seconds for safety." His point was all it took was seconds to buckle up, come to a complete stop, or let the guy in front get some distance from you. I think of this saying when I'm too lazy or rushed to buckle up in the truck or tractor or properly block a jacked-up vehicle in the garage.

 

[outofmytree]

Sigh. Condolences to the mans family and all.....

I run a Bandit hb20 handlebar stumpgrinder and this is a machine highly prone to rollovers too. Just cos it's small doesn't mean it can't bite you. Stay safe friends.

 

[pdqdl]

We do almost as much tractor mowing as tree work, and a great deal of our work is done on severe slopes and rough terrain. I have trained any number of guys how to work a slope with a tractor, and it is definitely technique sensitive.

The biggest problem with tractor rollovers is that most operators think they can jump off of the tractor safely and they refuse to put on the seatbelt. They fail to understand that as the tractor rolls over it propels the operator sideways down the hill, they lose their balance and fall flat...the tractor continues coming down the hill and lands on top of them.

In the last 27 years, I have had three tractor rollovers. So far no injuries!