Driver of lawn tractor dies in rear-end car accident

When Illinois drivers come across unconventional vehicles on the road, they may not be prepared for the slow speeds such vehicles are able to travel. A man driving a lawn tractor lost his life in a recent car accident on Illinois 124. Similar to motorcycle riders, drivers of such vehicles have little or no protection against the impact of a collision.

In a preliminary report, Illinois State Police said that the lawn tractor was southbound on a Tuesday afternoon. An 18-year-old driver of a sedan apparently approached from behind and rear-ended the lawn tractor. The impact sent the two vehicles to opposite sides of the roadway, and the critically injured driver of the lawn tractor was rushed to a hospital.

The sedan driver reportedly needed no medical treatment, but the lawn tractor driver passed away shortly after being admitted to the hospital. The state police had to close the road to allow a reconstruction team to investigate the accident. No charges were filed at the time of the accident, but charges may follow after completion of the investigation.

An unexpected death, such as the one in this car accident, typically leaves the surviving family members extremely traumatized. In addition, they will have to cope with arrangements for a funeral and burial, which will bring about unanticipated expenses. If sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of another party is available, the family may pursue financial relief by filing a wrongful death claim in an Illinois civil court. Although the void left by the loved one’s death will remain, any monetary award by the court may ease the financial burden of medical expenses and end-of-life costs.

Source: sj-r.com, “Man killed when car, lawn tractor collide near Sherman“, John Reynolds, May 5, 2015