Ottawa man dies after tractor rolls on top of him

A 25-year-old Ottawa man died Sunday in an accident involving a tractor in Franklin County.

Derick Dryden died on a rural family farm west of Ottawa after a tractor rolled on top of him while moving hay, said Lt. Jeffry Curry, of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department.

Curry said Dryden’s tractor was top-heavy when it rolled. He was pinned under the tractor, and the weight of the machine killed him, officers said.

Sheriff’s officers received a “pretty immediate” call just before 4:30 p.m., Curry said. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene.

According to his obituary, Dryden for two years worked as an automotive painter with his father, Steve Dryden, at Steve’s Auto Plaza Body Shop in Lawrence. He also worked at two family farms and was an auctioneer for Franklin County Auction Service.

Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Ottawa.