A well known Tablelands farming family is in mourning after a farmer was killed when his tractor rolled on him on a rural Peeramon property. Emergency services were called to the Anderson Road dairy farm about 9pm on Friday, but tragically the 66-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident is now being probed by both the police Forensic Crash Unit and Work Health and Safety Queensland. Yungaburra police Sen-Constable Ian Wright said the crash may have occurred up to five hours before the man’s body was found.
It is understood it was his son who came across the tragic scene after the man had failed to return home. The accident site was several kilometres from the farm homestead in a neighbouring paddock.
Sen-Constable Wright said initial investigations suggested the farmer had been driving the small tractor in long grass along a tree line when it hit a log, which caused it to roll.
He said the farmer had been out spraying weeds, preparing fences and recovering a broken down vehicle when the crash occurred.
“We are looking at somewhere between a four to five hour time frame (before he was found),” he said. “It was in a separate paddock to where the farm house was.”
WHS investigators travelled to the scene, which is about 1km from the road, on Saturday as part of their investigation. If the accident is deemed to be a workplace incident then WHS will prepare a report for the coroner.
Source: The Cairns Post
