Pensioner dies after wheel of overloaded tractor breaks

A 71-year-old pensioner died on Thursday after the wheel of a tractor broke, causing him to become pinned under the vehicle.

Dead is Martin Cedric Herman of Orealla, Corentyne River, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). He was operating the tractor at Orealla Backdam when the accident occurred at around 11:30h on Thursday.
Reports indicate that the tractor was pulling a trailer loaded with lumber. At the time, five persons, in addition to the driver, were on the tractor and trailer.
Steve Cruickshauk, who is the cousin of the now dead man and the owner of the vehicle, said the tractor had a trailer filled with lumber attached.
He pointed out that as they were transporting the lumber, the left side wheel of the tractor broke, causing the vehicle to topple. Herman was pinned underneath.
“I don’t know if it is the barring brake but when the wheel fall off, the trailer stick in the ground and the tractor go straight up in the air,” Cruickshauk said.

The 56-year-old Cruickshauk recalled that when the incident occurred, he was able to jump off the vehicle but Herman was not able to follow. The other three, one of whom is Cruickshauk’s son, were on the trailer.
“When the thing happen, we go and try to push over the tractor but we could only shift it a little.”

He explained that Herman was moving his hands but was pinned with the steering wheel.
“One of them boys get to pull him out,” he said, adding that they were eight hours on foot from Orealla and telephoned for help.
Cruickshauk said they used a makeshift stretcher and carried Herman for two and a half hours before help arrived.

Meanwhile, Cruickshauk, who was also injured, was treated at the Orealla Health Centre and sent the Skeldon Hospital for further evaluation.
Cruickshauk told this publication that he recently employed Herman as a tractor operator.