Man Seriously Injured In Tractor Accident, Flown To Louisville

Family members look at the crash site where Joey Watt, 52, of Otter Gap Road was seriously injured today.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
An Otter Gap area farmer was seriously injured this evening around 7pm in a tractor accident on KY HWY 743 (New Grove Rd) when he lost control, crashed into an embankment, and was ejected through the tractor's glass door.

Joey Watt, 52, a resident of Otter Gap Road suffered a severe head injury in the accident. According to reports and witnesses on the scene, Watt had finished planting corn in a nearby field and was traveling on 743 when apparently after rounding a curve, the corn planter he was pulling began to fishtail. 

A deputy said that apparently the planter began to pull the tractor from side to side, causing him to lose control of the machine, forcing him off road. According to the evidence, he was thrown into the roof of the tractor and then ejected out the driver's door, shattering it in the process.

Watt was critically injured in a previous accident several years ago when a house trailer he was working under fell on top of him. According to family members, he can only walk with the help of a cane.

According to reports, Watt's nephew, Joseph Watt was riding ahead of him in a pickup truck. It was unclear if the nephew saw the crash or simply noticed the tractor was no longer following him, but he quickly turned around to come to the aid of his uncle. Either way, one family member called Joseph a hero for his quick action.

​Emergency personnel on scene said Watt was conscious and was alert during emergency treatment.

Emergency personnel and family members load Mr. Watt into the ambulance to await a helicopter.

The Air Evac Life Team was dispatched and landed in a nearby field, however; the helicopter was too small to accommodate Watt's large frame and a larger helicopter was called. 

Watt was transported via Edmonson EMS to Kyrock Elementary where he was met by a helicopter from Air Methods with the help of Kyrock Fire Dept and was flown to University of Louisville Hospital. 

Air Evac helicopter lands in a nearby field owned by Chad and Kandi Minton.

All the glass was shattered out of the tractor's driver side door onto the road where Watt was ejected.

A family member was contacted later to check on the condition of Mr. Watt, but it was not completely known at press time. 

No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Responding to the scene was the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, KY State Police, Chalybeate Fire Department, District 2 Constable, Edmonson EMS, and Air Evac.