Story on Stuff: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8350146/Father-and-son-shared-tractor-passion
This story is posted as a sort of tribute to a father and son who died in separate tractor accidents. The article mentions the duo's love of John Deere tractors and their "John Deere coloured coffins".
I don't find this sad, only a meaningless waste of life that leaves me embittered and slightly angry.
Son Hayden was aged only 18 when he died behind the wheel of a tractor in 2005. His father George Williams (62) has met the same fate. According to the article, George...
... died last Monday when the tractor he was driving fell down a bench in the hill, hitting rocks, before falling about 300 metres to a gully at the bottom of the hill.
Mr Williams was thrown from the tractor and was found about five metres from the machine.
His son Hayden, 18, died when the tractor he was driving and a truck collided near Lumsden on February 5, 2005.
It would be easy to point the finger at George and shout "reckless". That was my first thought when I read the headline. Instead I'm going to express my sympathies to the family, Thelma (wife of George), Cathryn (daughter) and Bevan (son) who must be devastated to have lost two family members in such a similar way.
Farming is tough. The equipment is larger than ever before and much less forgiving. It is also true that more marginal land is being turned into farmland (it sounds like George was on some pretty steep terrain).
Let's just be careful out there. OK?
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