Partridge — A hayrack ride in central Kansas turned deadly when children fell off the small tractor and were run over, killing one and injuring three others.
Reno County authorities said a 12-year-old died Sunday afternoon at the scene of the accident northeast of Partridge. The victim's name was not released.
Reno County Undersheriff Sheldon Stewart says three other youths were injured when they fell off the front-end bucket of the tractor.
Stewart says the four children were riding in the loader on the front of the tractor when they fell off and were run over by the tractor. Three other youths were in a hayrack being pulled by the tractor and a young child was sitting on the driver's lap. They were not injured.
The Hutchinson News reports that Stewart says the cause of the accident has not been determined.
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lubyloo (anonymous) says…
Not too smart.
toe (anonymous) says…
The most preventable of tragedies.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
These are safety violations (NO_NO's) when driving a tractor.
waswade (anonymous) says…
Tragic but yes, preventable. Stupid is as stupid does.
mk9992 (anonymous) says…
Your grammar and punctuation are tragic.
RonHolzwarth (Ron Holzwarth) says…
This was a terrible tragedy that everyone involved with will never forget. It appears to me that some posters are unaware or don't care that the persons hurt by this tragedy just might see their insensitive comments.
The article states: "The Hutchinson News reports that Stewart says the cause of the accident has not been determined."
It's my opinion that whoever was operating the tractor didn't take or pay attention to the Tractor Safety course that was required for all the 7th grade boys in the small agricultural town where I grew up.
But, that didn't prevent one of my classmates in Tractor Safety from being killed by an overturned tractor before he turned 20.
Accidents happen, and if you want to make comments such as seen above, I think it would be best to make them in a forum that's not public.
RonHolzwarth (Ron Holzwarth) replies…
R.I.P. Gene Walz 1954-1974
cj123 (anonymous) says…
It was a horrible accident! Just imagine what the poor driver of the tractor must be feeling. Leave him alone!
lubyloo (anonymous) says…
The poor driver??? What about the poor child that died and the poor children who were hurt? They should not have been riding in the loader of the tractor....that is just crazy!!
RonHolzwarth (Ron Holzwarth) replies…
Yes, that's a basic. But it is very, very difficult to say NO to children that do not realize the danger of what they want to do.
Pywacket (anonymous) replies…
???!!!! That is exactly what adults are for. To BE adults, show some backbone, and tell the kids that they'd rather have them mad about not getting their way than dead. (And that is if your assumption is correct that it was the kids pestering to ride in the front bucket. Maybe it was the adults' idea!)
And, as usual, we have the self-appointed censors cautioning us about commenting on an article about something that happened miles away from here. Are we not allowed to criticize any foolish actions now, no matter where they happened?
If we read about a busload of kids in Indonesia getting killed because the driver was trimming his toenails and hit a tree, should we withhold criticism on the off chance that the driver's sister's husband's cousin-in-law's neighbor lived in Kansas thirty years ago and therefore might read our comments and feel sad for the driver, who "has already been punished enough"? Where does this injunction end?
If people read about a boneheaded act--and especially when it kills innocent children who trust the adults to make safe decisions on their behalf--they are going to comment. Some of those comments will be critical. Deal with it.
Phase (anonymous) replies…
Well said!
Dejacrew423 (anonymous) says…
I remember when my friend and I would go to her grandpa's farm one of the most fun things to do was to get in the front loader of the tractor and have him raise it up.... granted it was parked but it just goes to show that accidents do happen. While everyone can sit here after the fact and say well that was a horrible decision, what was that person thinking, blah blah blah, it would be a rare situation to find a person who hasn't made a bad decision once or twice in their lives. Yes maybe no one has died from your bad decisions but consider yourself lucky. It's in an instant that something goes wrong and while this wasn't a great decision and it is a true tragedy the best thing we can do is make sure to look at situations we put ourselves and others in a little closer and make sure that we're not doing something that could potentially hurt someone. My heart goes out to all involved and I will be praying for not only the recovery of the other children hurt but for peace for the victims family and the tractor driver.
dani36921 (anonymous) replies…
well said
RonHolzwarth (Ron Holzwarth) says…
It is so easy to forget that farming is one of the ten most dangerous jobs in the United States, mostly because of the heavy machinery involved. Anyone that's from a farming community like I was can tell horrible stories that they don't even want to think about.
It takes only a momentary lapse of judgement to result in a tragedy that your friends and family will never forget.
I'm sure that the people that are going to hurt the most of all are the parents of the child that was killed. There is no pain greater than the loss of a child. I really feel for them, because they are the greatest victims.
And having to live with the responsibility for an accident like this is probably the second most painful thing of all. If it were me, I would just want to die.
deec (anonymous) says…
I had a great uncle die from a tractor rolling on him while he was mowing a hillside he'd mowed all his life.
RogueThrill (anonymous) says…
Wait. I don't think I fully understand. They were in a hayride taking place in the bucket of a front loader?
Since when does this happen? I thought hayrides where in trailers full of bales and apple cider.
This seems pretty negligent and likely eligible for a Darwin Award.
Gootsie (anonymous) replies…
I was totally with you Rogue until your last sentence. That is just mean.
PopcoRN (anonymous) says…
How very sad for everyone involved.