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Combine accident.

J

Jim/IN

Member
Thought you folks might want to know about this. Accident near Lafayette, IN. 2 adults, 1 teen killed when a combine w/ a 12 row cornhead hit the mini van they were in. Tragic for all involved.
Combine Accident.
 
The lawyers will be drooling over that one. I'd hazard a guess that whatever assets the combine operator has will be gone soon.

Stop signs are there for a reason, no matter what you are driving. Take time to stop and look all ways for traffic.
 
I agree there. My farm neighbor drags the 35 foot grain table to the field but drives around with the 8 row corn head attached. It is roughly 20 feet I believe.
 
Driver claimed he did not see the minivan? Looks like he had pretty good visibility up there in that cab. One careless moment can cost so much!
 
Thats a 12 row 20in head, so its only 20ft, but yes it should be a on trailer.. We have the same head and combine and always haul the head.. For us its more about the weight than width..Bad deal for everyone.
 
It's pretty easy to get beat up in court here in NY even when you reduce a machine's size by removing the head, fold wings, etc. to take it down to its most minimal factory width. All you have to do is be wider than your half of the road as defined by the painted lines at center and outside.
 
More money than brains but that's about to change. Trying to roll the stop sign instead of coming to a complete stop and checking traffic. I think his farming days are over. A huge machine, no pilot car and no brains. He deserves what ever fines and/or jail time he gets! 3 people needlessly killed.
 
How does that work if the operator was hired help? Does the owners insurance co. just pay and life goes on as normal for the farmer?
 
I thought the same thing but maybe he was just going a short distance to the next field. There is a lot we don't know yet.
 
Lord knows what that will cost, even more tragic is the loss of life. It could have all been prevented by the use of a header cart, even towed behind the combine. The sad part, is that it takes less than five minutes to remove and reattach the head on those machines----
 
It's sad that drivers now days can't stand being behind farm equipment on the road. When I was with the school bus company one rule is, "Make sure the other driver sees you". This rule holds true with any vehicle (motorized or not) you are driving.
I look at that picture and I wonder if the combine driver was trying to make a left turn and the minivan was passing the combine. Just my thought.
 
Combine operator didn't see car, ran stop sign!!!!! WTF????
Loss of life is horrible.
From my selfish point of view, we as farmers don't need any more of this stupidity. Feds will just have more ammo. to regulate/tax us.
 
That car is under the frame of the head. If it was where it should be (not on the feederhouse), that car would likely have never hit it- or bounced off the tire. Sorry, but that idiot should be hung out to dry. We even disconnect six row heads and put them on a cart. Eight row and bigger have absolutely no business on the road. That head costs over fifty thousand used and a cart is about two. Even a moron can figure that one out.
 
Every once in a while, somebody says something that just shouldn't pass, and this is one of those times. Three people are dead, three more are seriously injured, and you're worried about creeping regulation and increased taxation? Unbelievable. Maybe if there were a regulation mandating headers on carts if on a public roadway, this wouldn't have happened. If this were a piece of construction equipment, it would be on a trailer and subject to oversize load regulations, but God forbid agriculture play by the same rules as everyone else. That would be like saying it's a business, not a calling.
 
If the survivers decide to sue They will have to sue the combine driver if he was hired help and then sue the owner to get anywhere. That is the way it was in my case a few years ago anyways. Sad news either way about this though. Just yesterday I was almost rearended by a car on a 4 lane highway while driving a tractor.
 
Child killed on ATV here a few days ago. He was 10 months old! brother 4 and sister 6 were also injured. Driver 24 yr old male had minor injuries. No othere info given. Kids were children of nearby Dr and wife. You can't make up stuff this wierd.
 
That was mistake #2 or 3....He'd never drive a combine again around here, after he got out of jail.
 
That's right. I am concerned about creeping regulation(which always includes taxation). Licensing/registering farm equipment and operators would create a nightmare.
As others have mentioned, I don't know how a cart would change not looking, and not stopping.
 
I just have to wonder how many of you guys are actually farmers, and how many of you don't actually make a living out here? No, 12 row corn heads don't belong on public roads, but if I was just crossing the hiway to another field, yea I would leave it on. Every one of us has made a dumb mistake, and I will guarantee, that everyone of us has run a stop sign, by definition of the law.
I AM sorry for the family of the deceased, but I have also looked both ways, and ALMOST pulled out in front of a vehicle. If it wasn't for the good Lord jerking me back, I could have every well been that combine driver!!!
 
Yes. Well said. And I find that with how fast and careless the drivers of little vehicles are around large equipment, that they appear almost from nowhere.
 
I think if you are over standard lane width( 12 or 13 ft )on a state highway with your equipment you are already in violation of state law without even talking about an accident involving loss of life.
 
They say it appeared the combine ran a stop sign, it is possible that the combine stopped at the stop sign then went to cross and before he made it all the way across the car got there? Still a fail to yield situation but if there was a curve or obstructed view and maybe the van was speeding it might not be so clear. Not trying to absolve the combine operator in this tragedy but we're looking to hang him without knowing all the facts. I know the company I used to work for got beat up pretty bad about a fatal accident involving one of our trucks. A 75 year old women decided she'd rather pass a group of cars waiting for the lead car to make a left turn and face our truck head on rather than wait for traffic to clear. Our driver took the ditch and she hit the truck under the driver's door. Had her car had functional seat belts and had she been wearing them she might of lived. The company wrote off the repairs on the truck (almost $7,000), far as I knew the owners were of the opinion that if the estate didn't sue them they wouldn't sue the estate and still people beat us up. We had a bad accident up here a few years ago, a father with his 3 teenage daughters and a son in a little Kia sedan "ran a stop sign" and they were killed when the car got hit by a pick-up truck. Case closed? The pickup truck driver was drunk and doing 70 MPH or more in a 45MPH zone, it was dark and he didn't have the truck headlights on, oh yes and his license was revoked (DUI).
 
I don't see how having it on a cart would make any difference. Run a stop sign ...what's the difference if he hits you on front of header or side?
 
Here in Mn as long as you have a smv you can take up shoulder and one traffic lane... no matter how wide you are, you are good to go.
 
Interesting how the combine operator is already guilty...
The reason the head is on the machine and not a cart is because the head probably doesn't hang more than a foot past the combines ladder to begin with. The fact that it's close to 20' wide either way doesn't really matter...
As far as wether he ran the stop sign or simply didn't see the van... who knows. The time of the accident is somewhat telling tho. 4:45 pm. If it's anything like it's been here at that time of day recently.... with a strong sun low in the sky... he probably couldn't see much. Missing a silver van wouldn't be that difficult. Doesn't make it right or better but it can happen easy enough. I was nearly blinded by sun like that earlier this week at roughly that time of day... for nearly 2 miles I could hardly see a thing in front of me.

Rod
 
i know!! if he would have STOPPED and turned his empty head and looked both ways, 3 members of a family would be alive now.
 
I really dont think it matters the head was on they just would of ran into the feederhouse. I like how at the end of the article the guy says" they are out there" speaking of farmers like drunk and inattentative drivers, Its sure nice to be lumped in with them. I think that any time anybody hits a piece of farm equipment they deserve it if they were passing or doing something stupid they deserve to meet there maker. I never pass a piece of farm equipment till I know there isnt a road or drive way or farmstead. As far as having the head off, Its a 12 row 20 inch he is perfectly fine not over width, I hope nothing happens to the combine driver, It was an accident, stuff happens and move on,
 
Who really knows what happened any way. I guess I believe that no matter how much you make that guys life c rap It wont bring back the dead people, It was an accident so let it alone, and on the same token if they find that the driver of the van did something wrong the farmer should sue for damage to the corn head, people in cars need to learn that they dont own the road, I know i dont own the road with a tractor and I share, but i find that the morons on the road think they own it and expect farm equipment to get over all the time even when its hard to move over because of a sign or mailbox ect.
I guess i could also say if the farms werent so big then there wouldnt be such large machinery, how do u want me to say it, It was a accident and the farmer doesnt not need to be put infront of the firing squad, I guess if it was my family I would go to the funeral and move on with my life because nothing would bring them back
 
appreciate your kind sentiment, but this is about gross negligence and loss of life. i don't understand some peoples take on this. he didn't get by with what he thought he could get by with.
 
Hey bobbboy.....have you ever run a stop sign....ever? Have you ever had booze in your blood and been behind the wheel? Have you EVER exceded the speed limit ever? Have you ever been on your cell phone and been on the road? You self righteous numb skull. The combine operator allegedly ran the stop sign (or did he stop and pull into the intercetion?) People make mistakes. So according to you when somebody makes a mistake they should be shot?? Line up you're next cause im sure you made atleast one of those mistakes before. My brother was killed by a person running a stop sign (with a car, lets outlaw cars) but your actions or anyone elses doesn't fix it.
 
When 3 people are killed because of someone else's negligence, is a little more than an accident. It doesn't matter if he ran the stop sign (probable) or pulled out after stopping. He caused the death of 3 young people. What's even sadder is he was sober when he did it. Don't think there is any excuse for it unless he had a heart attack or seizure. I suspect he didn't want to come to a full stop cause it would take longer to get up to speed.
 
Being as oversize as he was, he should have taken extra precautions. Nothing against farmers but there are some of them that do think they own the road, especially when they're driving a $250,000 plus machine.
 
Rod: The first rule of safe driving is that if you can't see where you are going you shouldn't be moving. If you drove several miles not being able to see forward due to the sun in your eyes, you were a ticking time bomb ready to kill yourself and whoever else was unfortunate enough to be in your path.
 
I just read the followup article. The combine operator was arrested at the scene for a couple of outstanding warrants. Deceased were mother, dad and 15 yr old daughter, 2 kids from same family and a friend critical. Tragic.
 
Don't be to quick to condem the combine driver,
these sort of accidents can happen to anyone
at anytime.
Is it known for sure if he stopped or didn"t stop
at the stop sign.
A similar accident happened at a give way sign not far from where I used to live. A car ran into a loaded wheat truck, two people killed.
Truck driver was charged with manslaughter, received a not guilty verdict.
 
How do we know that he didn't stop? That's the point here.... mabey he DID stop, saw nothing, proceeded... and the car cam flying out of nowhere? Given the number of stupid things I've seen people do while I've been behind the wheel of a truck... nothing would surprise me in this situation. It bothers me that the guy on the combine is getting the blame here when all of the facts are not known.... as it is still 'under investigation'.
An iteresting point for some as well.... the remark that farmers 'think' they own the road... Some of you four wheelers need to bone up on your laws because in some parts around here... farm machinery DOES have the right of way. If you hit them, regardless... YOU are at fault.

Rod
 
Senseless really it seems.I am a farmer and if I'm moving a piece of equipment thats over 8ft wide I have someone out in front with their emergency flashers on.Of course I do have the impatient drivers here on my country road that will pass me on a hill or curve at a high rate of speed.But if something is 20ft wide seems to me a couple extra vehicles would be in order to warn approaching vehicles and of course stop at all stop signs.
 
Some people on this thread just chap my A$$ with some of the idiotic statments you make. Your basing facts on an article a journalist wrote. How many articles do journalist write with incorrect facts? What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Let's forget the fact that two families are suffering from this tragic loss, yes the farmer driving the combine is suffering too. I myself have drove equipment small and large on roads for years and can't tell you the countless times, vehicles come from nowhere. The same happens to people driving cars.
 
... or mabey he panicked and stuck the hydro full forward... wasn't an expereienced operator on the machine... didn't see the van in the blind spots that exist in those cabs behind the mirror or 'A' pillar. There's all kinds of possible reasons why this happened.
One of the other sad truths in life is that sometimes the dead are dead for a reason... I get so tired of listening to people try to find a scapegoat to blame for why someone died in a so called accident. Often times their own actions contributed to their death. That may not be the case here... but I do know that not one of us has the facts to make the call as to who was at fault. Sadly it looks like this guy is probably going to get railroaded because he had some outstanding warrants against him... that apperantly were not important enough to have had him arrested previous to him falling into the hands of the 'law'.
Lets turn this on it's head for a minute... if this was a clear stretch of road with good visibility... and the driver of the van saw the combine approaching the intersection at a rate of speed that would suggest he wasn't going to stop... why would someone 'driving defensively' not slow down, stop, swerve, etc? Is he going to argue that HE didn't see the big green combine? I mean... any time I'm barrelling down the road and see someone backing onto the road or pulling out and I don't make eye contact with them... I'm already taking evasive action.

Rod
 
yeah i read the comments ,,the combine driver is getting little empathy ,,if we could only be in either vehicle ,, we would all understand ..
 
Sorry... but time doesn't stop because of the glare of the sun. As far as I'm concerned one is a far greater hazard on the highway if they're stoped in the roadway. That's why I keep my distance but keep moving. That's true for me wether it's the sun, fog or a driving snow storm.
Any time I have stoped I've felt the risk of someone plowing into me was greater. That's why I keep moving... and as close to the posted speed limit as possible.

Rod
 
Shadetree,It doesn't sound like any of you have ever been in or drove one of these new combines.You have very little or almost no side view.I have at least 2 intersections that you have to get out of your seat-open the door-step outside to check traffic and get back in quick enough to get moving again.Pilot cars are worthless because people won't obey them.BTDT too many times.The combine driver is to fault here,but only one person knows what really happened.
 
The guy ran a stop sign and killed three people. I hope something DOES happen to the combine driver!
 
Even the feederhouse would have been less damaging than the main frame of the head. Less weight, and it would have some lift on the single acting cylinders.
 
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