BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – Virginia State Police are investigating a multi-vehicle crash in Bedford County involving a farming tractor. While no one was killed or seriously injured, some farmers are using this opportunity to remind drivers to share the road.
On Tuesday at about 5 p.m., a work van rear-ended a Ford F-250 pickup truck which was pushed into the back of a tractor on Route 460 in Bedford County near Meade Road.
Thankfully, the driver of the F-250 only suffered minor injuries.
However, that wasn’t the case last year when a 75-year-old Bedford County farmer was killed in a crash.
Tuesday’s crash reminded Ronnie Gross of the dangers farmers face on the road.
“Even though it’s a short distance, it can still be pretty dangerous," said Gross.
Most farmers travel short distances on their tractors using main roads to transport goods from one farm to another.
Gross explained his own run-ins on the road.
“A car was actually passing and there was no sight distance. Had they waited just two more minutes, they would’ve had the sight distance. It was close to being a head-on accident.”
State police, local authorities and state organizations, like the Virginia Farmers Bureau, are working hard to promote farming tractor and vehicle safety.
“For the drivers that are not familiar, maybe they didn’t grow up in a farming community -- they need to be educated. The fact that only two minutes can save a life," stated Gross.
As for farmers, he suggested traveling only when traffic is light.
As far as Tuesday’s crash, the driver of the work van was charged with driving too close to the pickup truck.