A 16-year-old Iowa boy died Sunday night after a semi-truck struck the back of the trailer his tractor was pulling on Highway 71 south of Audubon. Tatum Christensen was ejected from the tractor and died at the scene, according to the Iowa State Patrol. The semi-truck driver was flown to a hospital with serious injuries.
The crash wasn’t the only one in Audubon County that day. Earlier Sunday, a pickup truck and a combine collided head-on, leaving the pickup driver seriously hurt. Two farm equipment crashes in a single county in a single day is a sobering reminder of how dangerous rural roads can be during planting and harvest seasons.
For Suncoast drivers, the takeaway travels well. Farm equipment moves slowly, turns wide, and often appears over a rise or around a bend with little warning. Slow down before you’re close, pass only with a clear view of the lane ahead, and give yourself extra following distance. If you have a teen driver at home, walk them through it.
Have you ever had a close call with a tractor or combine on a back road? Share your story in the comments.
