SNEEDVILLE, A 69-year-old man died Sunday afternoon after the farm tractor he was operating slid off an embankment and overturned on a rural Hancock County road, authorities said. The operator was thrown from the machine, became pinned beneath a tire, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash unfolded in the late afternoon on Sherm Mountain Road.
According to WVLT, the Tennessee Highway Patrol identified the victim as 69-year-old Steven Dorland. Troopers told the station that Dorland had been backing up the tractor when it got too close to the edge of the narrow road and slid off the right side. The tractor then rolled down the embankment and came to rest against a tree. WVLT reports Dorland was thrown from the tractor and pinned underneath a tire.
Tractor overturns are a leading cause of farm fatalities
Tractor overturns remain one of the deadliest types of farm incidents in the United States, and older tractors operating on steep, rural roads are especially vulnerable to rollovers. The NIOSH notes that rollover protective structures used with seat belts are roughly 99% effective at preventing death or serious injury in an overturn, and national rebate programs exist to help farmers retrofit older machines. Safety advocates say wider adoption of retrofits and training could reduce these preventable tragedies.
Tennessee Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash. WVLT reports the wreck happened around 4:09 p.m. Sunday and that troopers were on scene. Authorities have not released further details about what led the tractor to slide off the embankment. The late afternoon death has underscored safety concerns on Hancock County's narrow, hilly roads.
