Farmer crushed to death by tractor in Sanger

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An 82-year-old man has been killed after being crushed by a tractor in Sanger.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office says the accident happened before 2:30 pm at Newmark Ave. and Belmont Ave.

Deputies say the victims' wife came out to check on him when he didn't come home for lunch. That's when she discovered the accident had happened and called authorities.

"It's just a sad situation. The guy is out here farming, doing what he loved all of his life," said Tony Botti from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. "It just so happens his wife, on her birthday nonetheless, comes out here to check on him."

Fresno County Sheriff's deputies say Huey was tending to his almond orchard on a tractor when something went wrong.

"We don't know the circumstances here. If there was a malfunction with the equipment, maybe some medical emergency," said Botti. "He went to make a turn. And for some reason, he went a little too wide and it rolled the tractor off into the ditch flipping it upside down on top of him and crushing him."

Huey was dead when first responders arrived.

Friends of Huey say the beloved farmer was a military veteran involved with the Sanger AMVets and was always willing to help his community.

"He was a member of the Fresno County Farm Bureau," said Ryan Jacobsen with the FCFB. "Definitely sending our condolences to the family."

Jacobsen says it's a tragic coincidence that this accident aligns with agricultural Safety Awareness Week.

"It is dangerous work. We are dealing with machinery. We are dealing with just a lot of moving parts and in this particular case, this farmer has probably farmed this whole life," he said. "And it just takes one split second for something to go wrong."