Cloverdale man dies in tractor accident

A Cloverdale man died Tuesday evening as a tractor he was riding overturned, submerging him in water. (photo by LAUREN BOUCHER)

CLOVERDALE -- Family and friends are mourning the loss of Cloverdale resident Richard Branneman, 75, following a fatal Tuesday evening tractor accident.

Putnam County law enforcement personnel were dispatched to a field off Stardust Road between Putnam Plastics and Value Market at 7:20 p.m. following a report of a lawn mower having been overturned with entrapment. However, upon arrival officials found a Ford 4000 tractor, which had been hauling a bush hog, overturned in the water.

Investigating Officer James Martin of the Cloverdale Police Department noted that an unidentified woman was said to have been walking her dog on the property at the time, when she stumbled upon the scene and quickly ran toward Stardust Road to flag someone down to call 911.

"He was mowing and it appears that he just took a nosedive off the hill into the water," Martin said. "His granddaughter (Nicole Sullivan) did say that he has episodes where he does pass out. We don't know if he passed out at the time and went down into the ditch, if he just forgot it was there or what."

It was said that Branneman was traveling north at the time of the accident and went straight off the hill into the water. It is not known at this time how long he had been trapped. No autopsy is planned.

Assisting at the scene were the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department, Operation Life and Curtis Garage.