Man killed in rural Mankato tractor accident

A man in his 80s is dead after a tractor accident in rural Mankato on Monday afternoon.

Deputies from Blue Earth County responded to a farm on 570th Avenue in Lime Township section 19 around 2 p.m. on a report that a man was run over by his tractor.

An initial investigation by the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office indicated that 82-year-old Gerald Orville Fredricks may have accidentally started the tractor by standing near a rear tire while it was in gear.

Fredricks died at the scene, according to Blue Earth County law enforcement.