http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/8253878.stm

Heard on the news this morning. What a freak accident, I think the tractor was hidden from view by trees.

Very bad news.
Ironically there was a very near miss near Wendover. If anyone knows the Crong (used as a regional hill climb) A tractor towing a cultivator type thing took up the whole of the road, made us go off road to avoid being mangled, but even the blades extended onto the verges.
I do wonder about the things they tow or shunt, the large sharpened pole on the front isn't something I'd want to argue with.

I nearly met my end splattered on the side of a tractor about a month back. Going down a single track that follows the edge of a field, done it countless times. Good for over 30mph so great fun. Only this time a huge tractor popped out of a gap in the hedge as I passed. One moment clear trail, next moment face full of tractor, then a moment later clear trail again. Dread to think what would have happened if I got there 1/2 second later.

Being a countryside dweller I live with these hazards all the time. Have had many a near miss. Probably more offroad than on road commuting. Also had some near misses with forestry logging lorries and the odd van.

nasty

having been bought up on a farm and spending a lot of time around farm machinery I treat it with the respect it deserves.

Nearly got taken out by a Police quad bike which was chasing a load of twocing scallies through our local pinewoods

I once had a tractor with trailer try to overtake me on a public road.

When the trailer was level with me, the driver decided to turn left onto another road.

A near miss and all for a few seconds saved.

i ALWAYS just stop and get out of the way of tractors on the road, i'd expect them to do the same if I was in my car so it's only fair really.

They are a nightmare to drive in a straight line and are often not driven by the most caring of people so the thought of them trying to overtake is not nice

Oh, that's horrible. It's a busy time for farmers right now and it's quite terrifying to have a tractor squeeze past you on the road. There isn't always verges to clamber on to.

Downton is such a pretty little village too.

Another yokel here. Tractors are scary beasts this time of year, best treated as monsters out to kill you.

very very sad news. as a northern yokel I find tractors usually very respectful, what I hate are 4×4 drivers so often driving too fast and without care, earlier in the year a spate of drivers with horse boxes were the worst culprits for misjudging things, the final complication for me is carvans, blinking mare.

Thankfully never had a near miss whilst mountain biking with a tractor, but was once coming back from ingleton towards Slaidburn on the country road which goes past the main Gisburn Forest car park whilst on my road bike and came across maybe 15-20 tractors coming in the oppposite direction these ranged from brand new to 3 wheel ones from another era. To say it was scarey is putting it very lightly, the older ones espacially where all over the road i was nearly climbing the fence to get out of the way. I pressumed they had been to some kind of rally or something.

that road footstomper sees lots of rallies and bikers, can be a nightmare! Locally the steam bus nearly ran me off the road 2 years ago.

I'd say that sort of accident is a very good reason for never wearing headphones/ using MP3s when out riding. Tractors usually make a fair bit of noise.

wow moses, i take it you were there or have some other source of information on the exact circumstances of the accident to be able to provide insight like that.

That's on one of my local trails. Don't know the lad involved, but so tragic at just 19.

Not convinced Moses, over 15mph I can't even hear lories coming up behind me at 60mph.

Theres little or no details in that article, so unless you have another source proving otherwise I'd sugest it's a case of martians draging him from the bike and throwing him at the tractor (fits the BBC story perfectly). Best not jump to conclusions.

I too am deaf from the wind noise at fairly low speeds, maybe my ears are large and causing turbulence 🙂 Impossible to tell without the details. Bet the tractor driver feels bad.

Dreadful thing to happen.

Poor lad.

More in the Salisbury Journal.

A kid with much promise, by all accounts.