Joplin resident’s timely call saves man from tractor accident

(KODE/KSNF) — Thanks to a Joplin woman being where she was, a Joplin man was rescued quickly by first responders. "He was under the wheel, and it just nearly destroyed me because you could see his blood all over his face and at that moment, I called 911. He moaned and groaned, I said Johnny, I'm getting help," said Joplin resident Sharon Morgan. Sharon Morgan regularly hires mowers to maintain her five-acre property. But this time, she was sitting on her porch when she saw smoke. "I sometimes just stand here watching and looking where they are at. I happened to hear the sound of the blades making major sounds and all of a sudden, I saw the smoke coming up out of that area down below," she said. Morgan walked down the hill and saw a man pinned underneath the tractor. She called 911 and approached the man. "I said they are on their way, but I had to leave him because I couldn't do nothing and then I run up here to get the guys to know where he is at." Because of her quick response, Redings Mill Fire Department and Newton County deputies were there within minutes. "Arrived on scene he was unpinned underneath the tractor. He was alert and talking to us. We extricated him out from underneath the tractor and then he was transported to a local hospital," said Redings Mill Battalion Chief David Hayes. Battalion Chief Hayes also highlights the importance of using a rollover protective structure. "If your tractor is equipped with a rollover protection make sure that it is up. A lot of tractors have the option to have them down and up. Make sure they're up," said Hayes. "It's hard when you see something like that in your home, I never dreamed it. Never. The guys have been mowing for several years for me, but it's a steep hill and it's hard and dangerous," said Morgan.