Update: Newman man killed in tractor crash near Crows Landing
A Newman man was killed in a collision Friday morning when the tractor he was driving was rear-ended near the town of Crows Landing.
Alberto Toscano, 60, was driving a John Deere tractor towing a sprayer tank south on Eastin Road when he was rear-ended by a Chevrolet pickup, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Ming Hsu.
The collision occurred a little over a half-mile south of Highway 33 and the slow-moving tractor was established in the roadway. The driver of the Chevrolet, 24-year-old Cesar Bravo, told investigators the sun was coming up and in his eyes, limiting his visibility when the crash occurred shortly after 5:30 a.m., Hsu said.
The tractor went off the west side of the road, where it overturned and the trailer wrapped around a power pole. The pickup went into a field on the east side of the roadway.
Toscano, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the tractor, landing in the roadway. He was later pronounced dead at the scene, Hsu said.
Bravo had minor injuries but declined treatment.
Hsu said drugs and/or alcohol do not appear to be factors in the collision but officers are investigating the pickup’s speed as well as whether Bravo was distracted.
“We want to remind drivers of all types of vehicle to use proper safety restraints,” Hsu said.
NOTE: An earlier version of this story reversed the names of the tractor driver and the pickup driver.
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 8:38 AM.
