Tractor accident Injures Arden Farmer

Bruce Scott, who is 80 years old and who until last week ran the Scott farm near Highway 7 and Arden Road on his own, suffered a devastating injury late last week when he was run over by his own tractor.

Scott was preparing to cut wood with his nephew Patrick when the accident took place. Patrick had gone to look for a part to run the log splitter and Bruce Scott was alone in his yard when the tractor, which had been idling, somehow slipped into gear and began to head towards him. By the time he noticed, the tractor was upon him, and it ran over him.

Remarkably, although he suffered five broken ribs and a cracked vertebra, none of his organs were damaged. He did suffer extensive damage to his face, however, and will require reconstructive surgery down the road. His vision has been severely affected.

According to his niece, Brenda Martin, the long-term impact on Mr. Scott’s eyesight has not been determined as of yet.

“It’s remarkable that he lived through it,” she said “but he still is in a state of shock and doesn’t really know how it happened.”

Again, according to Brenda Martin, family members eventually located the tractor, which was still running, at the edge of a swamp on the property.

Bruce Scott was taken to Kingston General Hospital by land and air ambulance. Doctors at the KGH Intensive Care Unit put him into a coma in order to assess his injuries, and a week after the accident he is being transferred out of the ICU.

Just a couple of days before the accident, Bruce’s sister, Verna Cowdy, received a Volunteer of the Year award from Central Frontenac Township. The citation for the award noted that she came from the farm that was the subject of a song, “The Old Farm Over the Ridge”, written by songwriter Gordon Wright. That was the farm that Bruce Scott has been managing on his own since his wife died several years ago.

Friends and neighbours are invited to contact Bruce by mail at RR#4 Arden – K0H 1B0.