NEW KNOXVILLE — An 84-year-old man from New Knoxville died Wednesday afternoon after he became trapped under a tractor on his farm on Botkins Road.
Roger W. Dicke, 5530 Botkins Road, was pronounced dead at the scene after first responders lifted his tractor off of him, according to Chief Deputy Jim Frye with Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Frye said his office received a 911 call about an unconscious subject on the ground and trapped under a tractor on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 12:13 p.m. New Bremen Rescue was first on the scene, and within four minutes deputies were also on the scene. New Knoxville Fire Department also assisted at the scene.
“When the men lifted the tractor, they were able to pull Dicke out and check him out and determined he was deceased,” Frye said. “He had no signs of external injuries. We believe he may have asphyxiated because of the position he was in.”
Frye said Dicke had gone out to split wood using a hydraulic wood splitter and somehow his running tractor got into gear, went toward his back and pinned him underneath it. The tractor then hit the log splitter and flipped it over.
Dicke’s wife found her husband and made the call for help after he did not come inside to leave for an appointment they had that afternoon, Frye said.
Dicke’s body was transported to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy to be conducted. The incident is still under investigation by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
