Farmer dies after being run over by tractor near Cold Spring
STEARNS COUNTY, Minn. — A south-central Minnesota farmer is dead after he was run over by his tractor.
The Stearns County Sheriff's office says the deadly accident occurred Sunday afternoon in Luxemburg Township, which is just south of Cold Spring.
The victim, 59-year-old Matthew Mathies of Watkins, was hooking a wagon up to his tractor when it started to roll down a slight decline. Mathies tried to get on the tractor and stop it before it hit a shed, but he slipped and fell under the vehicle.
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A medical helicopter came to the scene to transport him to an area hospital, but he ended up dying at the scene.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says a farmer's chance of dying on the job is 800% times higher than any other occupation, with tractor rollovers being the leading cause of death.
The USDA has a rebate program that can help farmers afford critical safety upgrades to their tractors and other equipment.
