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Galena, Illinois – When Sheriff Elmer Blunkin received a call last summer regarding a road rage incident, he didn’t think it would be all that unusual. To his surprise, the scene was anything but ordinary. Just past the intersection of County-Line Road and the dirt path leading to the Hadduk back 40 was a picture he’ll never forget.
“It seems that Artie Hadduk had in his mind to pull off the dirt path on his John Deere. The problem was, he cut off Jimmy Jackson, who was coming down County-Line on his Ford 4000. Jimmy had a load of corn draggin’ behind him and when he hit the clutch and brake, he lost some of his load. After that, all hell broke loose.”
According to witness Farmer Dan, who was harvesting oats in a nearby field, Artie yelled a slur regarding Jimmy’s Ford tractor, and then shifted into high gear and pushed the throttle up as high as it would go – nearing an estimated 20 MPH. Jimmy then did the same to his tractor, but couldn’t keep up. But it so happened that Ted Johnson was crossing his cattle about a quarter mile up the road, forcing Hadduk to stop and allowing Jackson to catch up. Jackson screeched to a halt, and jumped on the back of Hadduk’s Deere. After fending Jackson off with his forearm, Hadduk slapped on his Power Take-Off, which injured the shin of Jackson.
By the time police arrived, both farmers were a bloodied mess. “The only thing keeping them from killing each other was the intervention of Ted and Farmer Dan,” recalled Blunkin. “It’s just a damn good thing they were there. One of ‘em may have ended up under a tractor tire. Ever been run over by a tractor? It’s not a good situation. More’n one dog’s been sent to meet his maker under one of those tires.”
Blunkin’s story is not unique. All across rural America, this is becoming a problem. According to the Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation, a recent study shows a 100% increase in the number of these incidents in just the last year. James Plum, who conducted the study, says the trend is disturbing. “The trend is disturbing,” said Plum. “In 1999, there was just one incident of road rage where tractors were involved. In 2000, that doubled to two cases. If it continues to double each year, we will have over a million cases by 2030.”
In one particular case in Oklahoma, Fred Tucker’s White had a run-in with Brian Hutchinson’s cornpicker. “That was nearly a tragedy,” remembered Plum. “The case file on that is a testament to how big a problem this has become. Tucker was plowing in the field next to where Hutchinson was picking corn. They both happened to finish at about the same time, and it was a race to the road. They were cursing at each other the entire way. It’s amazing that they were both willing to risk damaging two machines worth a combined $150,000 just to beat the other guy to the road.” Hutchinson lost the race and ended up jamming the picker into a ditch. Had they both reached the driveway leading to the road at the same time, it’s unclear what would have happened.
When asked if cell phones or fast food seemed to be a problem with these incidents, Plum nodded that they weren’t. “Have you ever tried to use a cell phone on a tractor? You can’t hear a thing. No, these are simply cases of egos getting the best of common sense.”
As of now, Plum is not recommending any legislation to combat the problem. “I prefer to approach this through education. We’d like to get these rural American farmers to get in touch with their sensitive side. We strongly encourage these men to purchase bibs in pastels, or to wear a ribbon supporting a worthy cause. Patriotism is also positive. I saw a tractor painted red, white and blue the other day. Things like that really put joy in their 18 hour workdays and help relieve anxiety.”