A tractor accident in Aid Township involving a farmer and his corn picker sent a local man to the hospital Tuesday, officials said.

Thursday, November 02, 2000

A tractor accident in Aid Township involving a farmer and his corn picker sent a local man to the hospital Tuesday, officials said.

Emergency crews responded to the accident in Aid shortly after the 911 call at 3:22 p.m., dispatchers said.

Gregory Walker of 7863 Ohio 378, was using a PTO-powered corn picker to harvest corn when his arm was pulled into the machinery, Aid Township Volunteer Fire Chief Joe Justice said.

"When I arrived on the scene, his arm was in a space approximately a half- inch wide," he said. "(Walker) said he had a jam in the machine and went to the back of it to free the corn when the machine got a hold of him and pulled him into it."

Walker was operating the tractor-pulled picker shortly before the incident occurred, he said.

Nearby resident Billy McCarty was hanging Halloween decoration when the accident occurred.

"I heard him over in the field hollering," the 16-year-old said. "I began looking around to see who it was and what the problem was. When I found him, I ran back to my grandfather’s and we jumped in the car and went to my mother’s and told her to call 911. We, then went over to the field and saw his arm was caught so I turned the tractor off."

Once firefighters arrived on the scene, they used the Jaws of Life to free Walker from the machinery, Justice said.

"We had to bust the casing that holds the five rollers in place," he said. "Once we did that, one of the rollers released enough to allow us to free his arm."

Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Service crews from the Aid station were quick to the scene, he added.

"Almost as soon as we finished the extraction, the paramedics had a helicopter landing nearby, he said. "SEOEMS was phenomenally quick. They were there within a minute of being notified. This is a prime example of why we needed a SEOEMS station out here."

Walker was transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital, then life-flighted to Jewish Hospital Healthcare Services in Louisville, Ky. where he received further treatment, officials said.

Hospital officials at JHHS said he is listed in fair condition as of this morning.