BURNHAM, Maine — A 2-year-old died Monday morning when a tractor driven by his grandfather accidentally backed over him, state police said.
Raymond Rayeski Sr., 54, was working with a tractor around a woodpile with his grandson, Raymond Rayeski III, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said Tuesday. Both were on the tractor at one point, but the child decided to get off the vehicle to play.
Rayeski Sr. continued to operate the tractor and was cleaning up debris and dumping the items a short distance away. It appears the boy then ran after his grandfather, who was backing up the tractor and did not see the boy. Rayeski drove the boy to Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield, where he died. Detectives termed the death a tragic accident.