Iowa Tractor Accident Claims The Life Of Motorcyclist

THE FEATURED IMAGE IS A STOCK IMAGE, NOT FROM THE ACCIDENT. 

Harvest has been underway in many areas of Iowa this week which means there has been a lot more heavy machinery out and about. But, it’s only the beginning of the season which means not every farmer is in their tractors or trucking around their grain.

This week did not start off on the right foot. We came back Monday to learn about two farm-related fatal accidents.

The first being last Saturday night, September 17^th. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s office received a call about a farming accident on Dyersville East Road, just north of Farley.

The accident happened as workers were unhooking a silage wagon. The wagon started rolling backward, catching 25-year-old Austin Gaul under the wheels of the wagon, and running him over.

Then the next day, Luke Helton, a 45-year-old man from Leon was traveling southbound on 253rd when he became unconscious. While unconscious, Helton ran his pickup off the road, through a fence, and into a nearby farm pond.

Then at 8 pm on Thursday night, there was, unfortunately, another fatal accident when a tractor and motorcycle collided.

Timothy McFarland, a 33-year-old man from Emerson Iowa was traveling Northbound on Highway 59 on a motorcycle when Robert Arkfeld attempted to pull out onto the Highway in an International tractor. While pulling out, Arkfeld turned into the path of McFarland. McFarland was unable to stop his motorcycle in time and collided with the front of the tractor.

According to an Iowa State Patrol report, McFarland sustained injuries that were “not survivable”. He was pronounced dead at the scene.