18 October 2023
WATKINS, Minn. — A central Minnesota man was killed Sunday when he was run over by a tractor he had been operating.
Matthew Mathies, 59, of Watkins, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday. The Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting that a male had been run over by a tractor at 14817 143rd Avenue in Luxemburg Township, just north of Watkins.
When deputies arrived they found Mathies lying on his side in the yard, according to the release.
Mathies had been attempting to hook a wagon up to the rear of his tractor and corn picker combination when the tractor began to roll forward down a slight decline. Mathies tried to jump onto the tractor to prevent it from rolling into a shed on the property. Mathies slipped and was run over by the tractor.
Emergency responders rendered aid to Mathies, but he died at the scene.
Related Articles
$22M in public financing aims to turn shuttered Iron Range wood plant into cannabis factory
U.S. violent crime dropped to prepandemic level last year; trend also seen in Minnesota
State of Minnesota says budget still running big surplus, 50% larger than projected
NTSB blames broken rail for fiery March freight train derailment in western Minnesota
When Minnesota Board of Pardons meets, supplicants have 10 minutes to make case for mercy