A 92-year-old Carroll County man was found dead Wednesday afternoon after his tractor overturned while he was working on his property, according to Carrollton Fire Chief Shane Thomas.
George Knapp, 92, was discovered underneath an overturned tractor in a wooded area near his home at 161 Gallo Road NW.
Thomas told Jordan Miller News that authorities were initially contacted after a woman became concerned when Knapp failed to return from putting up no-trespassing signs around his property.
According to Thomas, the woman had checked on Knapp around 10 a.m. and later noticed that his truck and golf cart were still at the residence, but his tractor was missing.
Knapp typically returned home around 11:30 a.m. for lunch. When he failed to return and could not be located, authorities were notified.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office responded and deployed drones to assist in the search. Investigators obtained an aerial image showing a tractor in the woods but were initially unable to pinpoint its location.
Carrollton firefighters were dispatched at approximately 2:23 p.m. to assist with the search, using utility terrain vehicles to navigate the wooded property.
One firefighter eventually located Knapp beneath his overturned tractor. He was already deceased when emergency personnel reached him, Thomas said.
Investigators believe Knapp had been operating an older Farmall Super A tractor along a wooded path when he encountered a log blocking his route.
Thomas said evidence at the scene suggested Knapp may have attempted to back the tractor down the path when it overturned on the steep terrain.
“Our assumption is he then tried to back down, and the tractor got away from him and overturned on him,” Thomas said.
The steep embankment complicated recovery efforts, prompting Thomas to contact a nearby property owner who brought a tracked skid steer to assist emergency personnel.
Thomas estimated that approximately 90 minutes passed between the initial missing person report and the discovery of Knapp’s body.
The incident appears to have been an accident involving the tractor overturning on uneven terrain, according to Thomas. No evidence of foul play was indicated.
The exact time of the accident was not immediately known.
