Motorcyclist killed striking farm implement

[AGRIMAN]

30 years ago I used to live on a fairly active county road and we farmed when the weather would allow. Quite frequently spring and fall I would run until midnight or later. Was either lucky or lived in an area where agriculture was 99% of what everone did so they knew that tractors and farm equipment move slow, leave mud, corn, soybeans, etc on the road. Rarely had car tractor collisions. Today with all of the distractions like cell phones, I-pods, etc.. people are just more out of tune with what they are doing.

In the case of this accident I feel the most sorrow for the tractor operator since he/she will have to live with this for the rest of their lives.[/QUOTE]


I agree, things are not like they use to be. People just do not seem to pay attention anymore. I think some people may even get a thrill from trying to "blow" by you. The higher the risk the bigger the thrill. I rarely transport any of my equipment anymore without at least a rear escort. When I move my combine I now also have someone in front to play blocker. I started that after a near miss on a narrow bridge.

Just last week my son was help a neighbor finish bale hay. They pulled onto the highway (three tractors) to travel the mile or so back to the barn. My son was the last in line and was passed by a knucklehead just as he started into a uphill curve. There's no way the guy could have known for sure the road was clear. He passed two of the tractors (in the curve) then darted back between the second and first tractor, but then darted back out to pass the first tractor which was nearing the top of the hill (still a no passing zone). In his hurry, he didn't notice the LH blinker flashing on the tractor and as the tractor starting turning the knucklehead had nowhere to go but down in the ditch. He hit the edge of the culvert and almost ripped the RH A frame off his truck (the tractor was not hit).

The guy was not hurt, but started saying how the tractor had ran him off the road. Well, when the law arrived he told them his sad story about how it was all the tractors fault. My son said they did check the lights and SMV sign on the tractor but then asked the guy why was he passing in a blind curve, going uphill in a clearly marked no passing zone? Being in a hurry got him 3 tickets and a wrecked truck.