Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. Wayne Blevins investigated a tractor roll over on Saturday in the Becks Mill area that killed a 52-Year-Old Salem Man.
Jonathan Helmuth, 52, was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of blunt force trauma to his chest and abdomen area.
Blevins said the 911 call came in at 7:21 pm in reference to a tractor roll over with a male subject trapped underneath of it in the 8000 block of Becks Mill Road.
Law enforcement, first responders and emergency medical services responded to the call.
First Responders arrived on the scene and began performing CPR on the male driver that had been pulled out from underneath the tractor. He was later pronounced dead.
Helmuth was operating a 4320 four-wheel drive John Deere tractor, pulling a flat bed utility trailer with seven total family
members on board the trailer, heading north on Beck’s Mil Road, near Mt Carmel Road.
Family members stated as they came down a hill, Helmuth had pressed the clutch in on the tractor and when he depressed the clutch, the tractors wheels were going faster than the drive train and the wheels locked up causing the tractor to veer to the left abruptly, causing the tractor and trailer to jack knife and run off the roadway, down an embankment, rolling over.
Helmuth was ejected from the tractor with the tractor rolling over coming to a rest on top of his upper body.
Washington County Ambulance Service checked the other passengers that refused any medical treatment with no apparent injuries at the time.
Becks Mill Road was closed for about three hours during the investigation.
The investigation continues pending the Coroner’s findings.
Blevins is the lead investigating officer.
Salem Police Department, Washington County Ambulance Service, Washington County Coroner’s Office, Howard Township Volunteer Fire Department also helped with the investigation.
