Tractor accident kills father of 5

A Willows man died Monday night in a tractor accident near Artois.

Reginaldo Talamantes, 53, was found dead under the right rear wheel of a Ford 7610 tractor in an almond orchard on County Road 35 near County Road H, according to a Glenn County Sheriff’s Office report.

The report notes that Talamantes, the father of five, apparently fell or was thrown off the tractor that was found wedged against a tree, still in gear with wheels spinning.

Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said Tuesday that Talamantes suffered “catastrophic injuries.” But, “we don’t know what caused him to be dislodged” from the tractor,” he said.

Off-duty Colusa police Officer Juan Perez put in a call to 911 at 9:28 p.m. after arriving at the accident scene.

He received a phone call at his home in Willows from Magdalena Lamas Talamantes, 47. She said her husband of 24 years – Perez’s brother-in-law – had not come home from work and was not answering his cell phone, the report said.

Before Perez reached the orchard, Magdalena Talamantes called again to say she was there and could see the accident from a distance, Jones said, adding that Perez told everybody to wait until he arrived and could see what happened.

Jones said the accident probably occurred in the late afternoon, though he could not say for sure. However, based on the condition of Talamantes’ body, “he was probably in the position for some time,” Jones said.

CalOHSA will conduct an industrial accident investigation.