Motorcyclist killed striking farm implement

[brin]

If it was the tractors fault, I hope the family gets the farm and then some. You listed every excuse immaginable why the poor tractor operator had to kill this motorcyclist. Slow moving tractors kill people around here all the time and more times then not are at fault for creating a dangerous situation. I watch them turn across traffic, fail to stop at signs, and generally think they own the highways even though they pay nothing in fuel taxes that builds the roads.

You are right....I drive my tractor 5 miles to my farm several times a year on country roads...I hate doing it...but I have all the warning signs etc. ....I have seen farmers who are very careless, drop wads of hay all over the road...drag equipment on the road and tear up the asphalt..etc. and as you say I have seen them make dumb dangerous moves on their tractors ...there are some careless tractor operators out there...at least I have seen them...inconsiderate ones as well...

[JDgreen227]

I never though about that. When I bought my tractor, the first thing I did was remove the SMV sign.

I almost never go on the road, but I am going to have to see about finding a spot for the sign now.

They never cite the mini bikes, 4 wheelers, or snowmobiles for being on the road here, but with my luck...

Why would you remove the SMV sign? On my tractor is it mounted on the rear of the seat so there is no reason to remove it to gain space. When I mow my 450' of road frontage on the shoulder, I would want as much warning visibility as possible to the traffic coming up behind me at 60+ mph. Here in Michigan mini bikes and ATV's are illegal on the road, but snowmobiles are legal. Makes no sense to me at all.

[ray66v]

Why would you remove the SMV sign?

My tractor is a small sub compact, and where the sign was located, it gets in the way of egress to use the backhoe.

I never imagined I needed the sign, (the tractor has flashers), or envisioned ever using the tractor on the road anyway.

The only operating on the street I ever do, is going next door to plow my neighbor's drive, once or twice a year.

[JDgreen227]

My tractor is a small sub compact, and where the sign was located, it gets in the way of egress to use the backhoe.

I never imagined I needed the sign, (the tractor has flashers), or envisioned ever using the tractor on the road anyway.

The only operating on the street I ever do, is going next door to plow my neighbor's drive, once or twice a year.

Thanks for explanation...my insurance coverage on my tractor is voided if I leave my premises and enter the roadway, even if I am just pushing snow across the road. My insurance agent told me that in the very unlikely instance I am involved in an accident with a motorized vehicle, he would hope I had the legally required SMV sign affixed to my tractor.

[TripleR]

Farm equipment operators in my area are pretty compliant overall. Just like with car/truck drivers, there are those who aren't, I don't see condemning everyone because you've seen someone operate improperly.

[LD1]

Farm equipment operators in my area are pretty compliant overall. Just like with car/truck drivers, there are those who aren't, I don't see condemning everyone because you've seen someone operate improperly.

[oldnslo]

Any bets on the MC driver was under the influence? If he could not see or avoid a tractor on the road he shouldn't be driving his bike. Yes I ride bikes and drive tractors.

[MHarryE]

Highway 10 is a 4 lane highway. Reports indicate the tractor with mower was incompliance with warning flashers and even the non-required rotating beacon. The highway has a wide paved shoulder and that is where farmers usually drive. You can tell from the picture it was right at late sunset so visibility may have been an issue - dark enough it is getting difficult to see but light enough the warning lights don't really stand out. Minnesota is a rural agricultural state. Farm implements have the right of way on all but Interstates meaning motorists are required to move over and slow down. The comment that we farmers don't pay road taxes is way out of line. We minimize the time spent on a road - that is money wasted. We do, however, have over 3,000 acres to cover and roading is a necessary nuisance. We make up for it in all of the road taxes paid on our trucks and other on-highway vehicles. We sure don't run any colored diesel in our trucks - that is a $30,000 fine and as we live near a major truck route, there frequently are highway patrolmen out checking so we would never risk dyed fuel in a truck even though they might spend the majority of the time off-highway. Not sure if tractor with mower in this case was mowing roadsides (never have seen them out this late at night) or a farmer. Local townships, however, do contract mowing to anyone who makes the lowest bid so this could be a person moonlighting and on his way home when it got dark.

[burnieman]

Do you think

[Don87]

Pictures can be deceiving though, especially in a case like this. We have no idea(according to the article), what time the accident happened.
One can be certain that a significant amount of time passed before the news crew got on the scene to snap the photo.

I've seen accidents, with fatalities, such as that take 4 to 8 hours to clean up,