Woman injured after being involved in tractor crash
The Somerton Cocopah Fire Department was sent to a reported motor vehicle accident involving a car and a tractor Friday at 7:47 a.m. Upon arriving in the area the Somerton Cocopah Fire Department’s personnel saw a tractor, with a farm implement that had been struck, parked on the west side of Avenue G at about County 14¾. The road was littered with the debris from a small blue sedan that was parked on the east side of Avenue G about County 14½.
The tractor driver stated that he had not received any injuries, but that the lone female occupant in the blue sedan had received a significant injury to her left arm.
Upon arriving at the blue sedan, Somerton Cocopah Fire Department personnel noted that the front quarter panel of the vehicle had been shredded upon impacting the farm implement. After first striking the front quarter panel the implement had then struck the driver side car body to roof pillar, tearing this away from the car body and into the driver’s left arm. The driver’s left arm received serious damage as a result of the impact. Somerton Cocopah personnel pulled open the driver door and then pulled the car body to roof pillar, out and away from the driver. The driver was then extricated and placed into full cervical spine precautions. Due to the serious injury to her arm, the driver of the blue sedan was transported emergency traffic to YRMC.
The driver of the blue sedan stated that she had been driving northbound on Avenue G on her way to work. She then stated that she had been blinded by the sun and had not been able to see, how far, or where the implement being pulled was on the roadway. It is unknown at this time if the implement was reaching into the northbound lane or not. Sheriff’s Deputies on scene commented that on Saturday at approximately 7am another similar accident involved a farm implement and a vehicle had occurred; but with no injuries.
The Somerton Cocopah Fire Department would like to remind everyone, that Yuma County and in particular, South Western Yuma County is a farming community. As a result it is very important that when driving on roadways that are being used by agricultural tractors, especially those pulling implements, it is incumbent upon us as drivers to use extreme precautions. When driving, and coming upon a tractor, it is important to slow down and if necessary safely and prudently cede part of the roadway to ensure that you are clear from any implements being towed by the tractors. The Somerton Cocopah Fire Department would like to remind everyone: “It is better to lose 2 seconds of your life, than to lose your life in 2 seconds”.
