Man, possibly fighting fire, killed by tractor

Hector Gutierrez
Rocky Mountain News
March 27, 2008

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A Morgan County resident who may have been trying to help battle one of several wind-whipped fires in the region was killed Wednesday when his tractor landed on him in an irrigation ditch near the Weld County line.

A firefighter doing mop-up work after a blaze northwest of Orchard found the victim in the ditch underneath his tractor about 3:45 p.m., Morgan County Sheriff James Crone said.

Investigators believe that the victim may have maneuvered his tractor too close to the edge of a ditch bank. The tractor may have tipped over into the ditch, hurling the operator before landing on top of him, Crone said.

The victim may have been trying to cut a fire break to keep the fire from spreading, Crone said.

Story update courtesy of the Rocky Mountain News. To read more on this story go to: http://www.rockymountainnews.com.