Update: Victim in fatal tractor accident laid to rest

Officials aren’t sure what caused a Williamsburg man to fall off a tractor and to his death late Thursday evening, but he is believed to have died instantly, said Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley.

The Whitley County Coroner’s Office pronounced Tony Lynn Adkins, 60, dead at the scene about 10 p.m. Thursday from multiple injuries sustained in a tractor accident.

Adkins was mowing grass using his tractor and a bush hog on his property located at 753 Watts Creek Road when the accident occurred.

“He had been cutting grass, cutting hay, bush hogging. We aren’t sure if he had a medical emergency or hit an area of the ground that caused it or what,” Croley said. “Some family members got worried, went out looking for him and found him. They called 911. He was pronounced dead there in the field.”

Authorities believe that Adkins had been dead for about a couple of hours before family members started looking for him and discovered his remains a short time later.

No foul play is suspected. There was no autopsy performed.

A routine toxicology test was performed on Adkins’ blood, which is standard procedure for a motor vehicle operator in any kind of fatal accident.

“There is no reason to believe that there was any impairment. It was just an accident,” Croley said.

Croley noted that fatal farming accidents are somewhat rare, and usually only occur every two or three years in Whitley County.

Kentucky State Police are investigating the accident.

Adkins is survived by his wife, Kate Adkins, and his three sons, Travis Lynn Adkins, Joshua Lee Adkins and Adam Christopher Adkins.

Funeral services for Adkins were held Sunday evening at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Williamsburg with Rev. Rob Powers officiating. Internment was private at the family’s request.

In lieu of flowers, donations were requested to be made to Calvary Missionary Baptist Church or Ellison Funeral Home to help with funeral expenses.