On June 13, 2003, a 74-year-old male farmer was killed when his wide-front, Massey Ferguson model 65 Diesel tractor and 10-12-foot pull-type antique disc overturned into a 6- to 8- foot, steeply cut ditch that contained water. This was an unwitnessed event. It appeared that the victim exited a private drive after he completed turning over the soybean stubble in his field so he could plant corn. After exiting the private drive, he turned to his left and drove northbound in the southbound lane of a gravel road. He may not have completely straightened the tractor's front wheels. The tractor's gearshift did not work properly and he may have been having difficulty placing the tractor in a higher gear. He unknowningly drifted to his left and left the roadway because the wheels were not completely straightened and his attention was diverted to manipulating the gearshift. The tractor's left front tire contacted the soft dirt near the ditch edge, the tire entered the ditch, and the tractor overturned to the side, pinning the victim in the ditch. All four of the tractor tires were pointing in the air. A passerby found him and called for emergency response. Emergency response arrived and declared the victim dead at the scene.


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