Run Away Tractor

[blake]

NEWS: Unmanned tractor runs for miles

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CEDAR RAPIDS - Officials say an eastern Iowa man suffered from a medical condition and fell out of his tractor, which then kept going for miles.

The empty John Deere tractor and disk cut through fields, fences and across roads for more than three miles before it stopped in a ditch on Friday.

The unidentified man was found by emergency personnel in a bare field about four miles west of Cedar Rapids.

The Linn County Sheriff's Office says the man has a life-threatening condition and was taken to a hospital.

No other details were immediately known.

PM
Ron Wyllie
Southwest Iowa IBA Area Representative
[email protected]

 

[Daver]

Runaway tractor

I heard of this story through a couple of different channels and I will first say that it was a sad one to hear. By the sounds of things, this was a really good guy. Condolences to the family.

But I am amazed that the unpiloted tractor kept going for what I heard was about 3 miles. Thankfully no one was hurt by that part of the tragedy, but shouldn't there be an off switch or something in these rigs? With the technology that is in these tractors these days I can't believe it could run for miles by itself. I know you wouldn't want to shut the engine down without someone in it so you could use it to power some activities, but shouldn't there be a safety device that is connected to whether or not it is in a forward gear?

 

[dbltree]

shouldn't there be a safety device that is connected to whether or not it is in a forward gear? <!-- / message -->

Most newer tractors have a kill switch in the seat so if you even stand up with it in gear it will kill it.

Older ones of course have no such safety device.