A farmer was killed when her tractor toppled down a steep field in a freak accident that may have been caused by her dog, an inquest heard.
Annie Mott was baling hay and driving her tractor with a spike on the front to move hay bales to the top of a sloping field.
Widowed Ms Mott, 54, was working with agricultural contractor John Middleton, who witnessed the incident in July 2020 at Little Wadham Farm, Knowstone, north Devon.
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He told an inquest jury at Exeter Coroner’s Court that one possible cause of death was “something obstructed by the dog” in the tractor cab.
Mr Middleton said one of Ms Mott;s three Rottweiler dogs rode with her in the cab and, as the tractor toppled backwards down the field, the dog was thrown out of the back.
No seat belt
Ms Mott was not wearing a seat belt and was also ejected from the cab. She was taking the last bale in that field to the top of another field when, for some unknown reason, the tractor started going backwards.
Mr Middleton said he could not understand why she was going backwards and asked: “What are you doing, Annie?” but got no response.
Witnesses said Ms Mott had 30 years’ farming experience, was an excellent tractor driver and knew the land she was working on well.
Det Sgt Heather Smith from Devon and Cornwall Police said the police investigation concluded her death was “sadly driver operator error”.
The inquest heard there were no mechanical defects with her tractor and another police officer said she may have been distracted by something in the cab.
Ms Mott, of Knowstone, Devon, died at the scene from multiple injuries.
Health and Safety Executive investigator Simon Jones said Ms Mott had her dog in the cab while driving the tractor when she lost control and it rolled over multiple times.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
