Man injured in tractor crash urges drivers to be careful

LAURA MCFARLAND

Managing Editor

POWHATAN – A Powhatan man who was recently hit from behind while driving his brand new tractor home from the dealership is doing well but urging people to be more mindful of sharing the road with farm equipment.

Shawn Corker, 49, of Powhatan picked up his bright red 2022 Mahindra on Jan. 27 at Ultimate Cycle and slowly set off west on Anderson Highway on his way home with a stop along the way at Tractor Supply to buy a box blade. He made it about 8 miles west from his starting point when he was hit from behind by a 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by James R. Willis about .10 miles east of Mitchell Road, according to a release from Sgt. Jessica B. Shehan, public information officer for Division 1 Richmond of the Virginia State Police. Willis was charged with following too closely.

“I was kind of going along and then wasn’t exactly going along – it was that quick,” Corker said. In the minutes that followed, Corker said he was briefly pinned in the wrecked tractor but freed himself when he smelled diesel fuel and moved to the side of the road. He said the

Please see TRACTOR, Page A7