Marie in Oh Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I just heard that a 12 yo by was killed when the tractor he was driving rolled over on him. A witness driving by called 911. So, the 12 yo boy was driving a tractor unsupervised. What the???????? We live in a tiny town where everyone knows everybody. I am sure we know the family. I don't know his name yet. If you pray, please lift up a family in rural OH who doesn't have a 12 yo boy anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peso Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 let's not condemn the parents - I took tractor safety when I was 11 and drove tractors at 12 - it was pretty common for farm kids to do that. That poor family. Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Granted I'm in Connecticut, but I spent every summer on my grandparents' Kansas farm. Is it really that unusual for a 12 year old to be driving the family tractor? What a horrible, gut-wrenching tragedy. Hugs to you and your community, Marie. Astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 What a heartbreaking accident. I just can't imagine.:grouphug: No stones here but 12 shouldn't be all alone out there on one of those machines. That poor, poor family. I just heard that a 12 yo by was killed when the tractor he was driving rolled over on him. A witness driving by called 911. So, the 12 yo boy was driving a tractor unsupervised. What the???????? We live in a tiny town where everyone knows everybody. I am sure we know the family. I don't know his name yet. If you pray, please lift up a family in rural OH who doesn't have a 12 yo boy anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 let's not condemn the parents - I took tractor safety when I was 11 and drove tractors at 12 - it was pretty common for farm kids to do that. That poor family. Penny I think we posted at the same time, Penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Oh, I'm so sorry both for the family and for your community. We just completed a sad small-town tragedy here yesterday at a funeral for a local 15yo girl. Both of my dds knew this girl. She was beautiful and a real sweetie and it seems so unreal that she could have been killed on her scooter on the 4th of July on her way to play her trumpet in the parade. Just so senseless. There were over 2,500 people in our community of only 5,000 that showed up for her funeral. The deaths of these young teens are just soooooo sad and almost incomprehensible to the ones left behind. Grieving with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesloonybin Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 :grouphug: I am so sorry that any mother has to go through that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Granted I'm in Connecticut, but I spent every summer on my grandparents' Kansas farm. Is it really that unusual for a 12 year old to be driving the family tractor? What a horrible, gut-wrenching tragedy. Hugs to you and your community, Marie. Astrid No, it isn't that unusual. My 10yo can run a skidsteer. There are risks everywhere you turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 What a heartbreaking accident. I just can't imagine.:grouphug: No stones here but 12 shouldn't be all alone out there on one of those machines. That poor, poor family. But he shouldn't have been out there alone. I don't think anyone can argue with that. No stones. Just not smart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I could and did drive a tractor at age 12, but never without my dad close by in another farm vehicle and never on a steep slope. Later when I was 15 or 16, I had a horribly close call when my tractor started sliding sideways down a steep hill. I was able to get it righted, but it was a scary couple of seconds that I'll never forget. My next door neighbor was killed when his tractor rolled at age 16. Another neighbor was in his sixties when the same thing happened to him (we farmed in the green hills of TN). Tractors are dangerous, but I swear I learned so much about life and work from helping my dad those many years and I'm sorry my kids won't have the same experience. My heart goes out to the parents of this boy. :( Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlcmom Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 A 14 year old was in a tractor with his dad. Leaned against the front window and it fell out and so did the boy. The dad couldn't get the machine stopped in time. Very tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 But he shouldn't have been out there alone. I don't think anyone can argue with that. No stones. Just not smart. If it was land with a lot of slope, I probably agree with you. However, I dare say on most farms and ranches the point of having the 12 yr old on the tractor is so that the parent can do other work. There is not much point in your kid mowing the cane hay if you have to supervise every minute. Everyone has different ideas of acceptable risk. I would let my properly taught 12 year old on the tractor unsupervised on the more level parts of our land, but I'm not real keen on letting them go swimming, even with other parents, without me. I'm am also much more worried about my teens driving real cars in a few years. We live in a rural community, yet there are very, very few farm accidents as compared to teen car wrecks on the highway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 ((Praying)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazycoffeechic Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Praying here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 If it was land with a lot of slope' date=' I probably agree with you. However, I dare say on most farms and ranches the point of having the 12 yr old on the tractor is so that the parent can do other work. There is not much point in your kid mowing the cane hay if you have to supervise every minute. Everyone has different ideas of acceptable risk. I would let my properly taught 12 year old on the tractor unsupervised on the more level parts of our land, but I'm not real keen on letting them go swimming, even with other parents, without me. I'm am also much more worried about my teens driving real cars in a few years. We live in a rural community, yet there are very, very few farm accidents as compared to teen car wrecks on the highway.[/quote'] That's how I feel as well - much more worried about my 15yo starting to drive a car than driving a tractor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 If it was land with a lot of slope' date=' I probably agree with you. However, I dare say on most farms and ranches the point of having the 12 yr old on the tractor is so that the parent can do other work. There is not much point in your kid mowing the cane hay if you have to supervise every minute. Everyone has different ideas of acceptable risk. I would let my properly taught 12 year old on the tractor unsupervised on the more level parts of our land, but I'm not real keen on letting them go swimming, even with other parents, without me. I'm am also much more worried about my teens driving real cars in a few years. We live in a rural community, yet there are very, very few farm accidents as compared to teen car wrecks on the highway.[/quote'] My neighbor is on the fire squad and came over when he got home. Apparantly he was going toward the gate of their land from the road toward the barn (100 acres away) and went down the embankment. Their farm is on both sides of the street, so I guess he was crossing from one side to the other, I am not sure. His dad was in the barn. I don't know. I know it is very common to have kids on farm equipment. Dh grew up on a hog farm in Montana and he was driving when he was 14. It just seems so dangerous to me. There has been a farm equipment accident every summer invovling a child since we have lived here. Last year it was a bush hog. I just look at my 10 yo son and he so wants to run the zero turn mower. I just don't know if I feel comfortable with that yet and he is an amazingly responsible kid. And driving, yes, that is so dangerous. And swimming-- I feel the same way. It is just so hard to let kids grow up and let them go on some of these things. But, it is the cross we must carry as parents. It is just so sad. The news article said he loved farming and his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I just look at my 10 yo son and he so wants to run the zero turn mower. I just don't know if I feel comfortable with that yet and he is an amazingly responsible kid. And driving, yes, that is so dangerous. And swimming-- I feel the same way. It is just so hard to let kids grow up and let them go on some of these things. But, it is the cross we must carry as parents. It is just so sad. The news article said he loved farming and his family. It is scary being a mom isn't it? My 10 yr old DOES drive the zero turn mower, and I admit it makes me a bit nervous. His dad also has him clear brush with a machete. My maternal hormones get all jumpy when he does this. DH says it is better to ease him into respectful use of tools at an early age rather than have him learn the hard way on bigger, more dangerous equipment when he's older. So I hope dh knows what he is doing, and try not to think about when ds is grown up and using a chainsaw.:) I don't mean to downplay farm equipment dangers. My grandparent's ranch lost a hired man to a rolled tractor. I knew of several lost limbs when I was a kid. One kid I knew rode bulls one-armed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 My dh was driving a tractor at eight. In fact, family lore says that one of his cousins was tied to a tractor to keep him from falling off if he fell asleep plowing. Yikes...farming is a hard life. Farming, and life, are full of tragedies. A year or two ago here, a 17year old boy was driving his sister home from Bible Study. They ran a stop sign and both were killed. Senseless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 But he shouldn't have been out there alone. I don't think anyone can argue with that. No stones. Just not smart. I don't want to argue, but I do disagree. If allowing a 12 year old to drive a tractor is "not smart", then allowing a 16 year old to drive a car is just plain stupid. The latter is far riskier than the former. Farm fatalities know no age boundaries, unfortunately. None of us has enough information to determine whether the boy's age was a contributing factor here. People who have operated farm equipment their entire lives have died in tractor accidents, so one never knows. As you and others have said, it can be overwhelming to think of all the potential accidents waiting to happen. Both my older boys drive the tractor and the skid steer and I have to say I'm not particularly uncomfortable with it. Nonetheless, I wept while watching a news story online about the death of the young boy in your community. It does feel close to home for me and my heart breaks for this family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I mentioned above that I don't agree the boy shouldn't have been out there on his own, and that my boys do the same thing. But I hope I don't sound like I'm merely blowing this story off. It's affecting me very deeply; feels very personal. Last night I shared the tv coverage about it with the boys, reminding them about the responsibility and dangers of using farm equipment. Sobering, to say the least. I couldn't stop thinking about this last night and had to just let myself sob for a good bit on this family's behalf. Kept thinking about how swiftly life is altered forever; Thursday morning this boy had his whole life ahead of him. And this morning, first thought that popped into my mind when I opened my mind was, "Today is the first day in the rest of that family's life without their son." Oh, the ache I feel for that woman. To feel a child form within your womb, deliver it into this world, and now sit empty-armed. Unfathomable. (((Marie))), hugs to you as your community deals with this tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 My dad was driving a tractor at at least that young. (Dad says he was five, but he also walked to school uphill both ways in chest-deep snow.) Grandpa tied him on so he wouldn't fall off if he nodded off. My dad survived the tractor, but he nearly died when he was struck by lightning while playing in the yard. There had been no sign of lightning or thunder when a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere and struck the barbed-wire fence he was standing next to. :eek: Farm accidents are tragic, but like the others, I still think the risks of a child dying while working alongside a parent are much less than if the child had been playing unattended at another part of the property while the parents were working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staci in MO Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 A house was on the Interstate, with a yard that sloped down towards the Interstate. A man was mowing on the slope on a riding lawn mower with an infant sitting on his lap. :ohmy: He was leaning way over to try to balance it out. If the mower would have rolled, they would have rolled right onto the road. I was completely stunned when I saw it. When I look back now, I wonder why I didn't stop right there and give him what for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie in Oh Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 I mentioned above that I don't agree the boy shouldn't have been out there on his own, and that my boys do the same thing. But I hope I don't sound like I'm merely blowing this story off. It's affecting me very deeply; feels very personal. Last night I shared the tv coverage about it with the boys, reminding them about the responsibility and dangers of using farm equipment. Sobering, to say the least. I couldn't stop thinking about this last night and had to just let myself sob for a good bit on this family's behalf. Kept thinking about how swiftly life is altered forever; Thursday morning this boy had his whole life ahead of him. And this morning, first thought that popped into my mind when I opened my mind was, "Today is the first day in the rest of that family's life without their son." Oh, the ache I feel for that woman. To feel a child form within your womb, deliver it into this world, and now sit empty-armed. Unfathomable. Like I said, dh grew up on a farm and this is totally normal. I just can't get used to the idea that 11-12 you boys can be responsible for such a complex peice of equipment. But, maybe I's just a woos! He was 11, not 12. Had pigs in the fair to show in a few weeks. Ughh. I just can't get over it. So, the way it sounds now is that they found him under the tractor's wheel next to the gate. They called it a roll over so most people assumed that it rolled down a ditch, but not so. It sounds like he got off the tractor to open the gate and either never put the break on or it failed and it rolled over him. I may be too over protective to be a farm mom. I don't know. I may be too over protective to give my kid the keys when he is 16. I guess I look at them still being children and needing supervision at that age, but we don't farm, and I am sure it is different. My ds is very responsible at 10 but can be spacey so I don't know. I am sure it could have happened to an adult doing the same thing, especially if the break failed. It just stinks, thats all. Maybe I over reacted to his age and it is unrelated. It just goes beyond my level of comfort. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Like I said, dh grew up on a farm and this is totally normal. I just can't get used to the idea that 11-12 you boys can be responsible for such a complex peice of equipment. I honestly don't consider tractors complex. Driving ours is about as straight-forward as it gets. They called it a roll over so most people assumed that it rolled down a ditch, but not so. It sounds like he got off the tractor to open the gate and either never put the break on or it failed and it rolled over him. I wondered about this because in the video, the tractor is upright. The tractor looks older, similar to the kind we have; a failed break certainly isn't beyond comprehension and like you said, if that was the case, it may have occurred to an adult, too.:( I may be too over protective to be a farm mom. I don't know. I may be too over protective to give my kid the keys when he is 16. I guess I look at them still being children and needing supervision at that age, but we don't farm, and I am sure it is different. My ds is very responsible at 10 but can be spacey so I don't know. I am sure it could have happened to an adult doing the same thing, especially if the break failed. It just stinks, thats all. Maybe I over reacted to his age and it is unrelated. It just goes beyond my level of comfort. Sorry. I understand, (((Marie))), I do. The whole thing makes me sick to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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