A tractor sitting in a field near Blackie is a haunting reminder for a family who lost their son after he slammed his car into the back of the farm vehicle Jan. 2.

At around 7:40 a.m. a male driving a Pontiac G5 ran into the back of a tractor on Highway 799 and died at the scene.

Gary Groeneveld was driving his tractor to help load some grain when the car struck the back of his tractor.

He said the impact was so hard it broke his tractor in half. He rushed to help the person in the car, but said nothing could be done.

“I did all I could for him,” Groeneveld said. “There was just nothing to do.”

He said emergency responders did an amazing job when they arrived at the scene, but the man could not be revived.

Groeneveld was not injured in the crash and said he has been thinking about the young man and his family ever since.

“All my thoughts are with his family,” Groeneveld said. “Its not about me. It’s about him and his family.”

Groeneveld has four sons and said it is hard to imagine the pain of losing a child.

“My heart bleeds whenever a parent loses a child,” he said.

Blackie is a small tight knit community, but Groeneveld didn’t know the deceased and his family.

Sgt. Dan Power of the High River RCMP said the family of the deceased man is very distraught and is asking that his name not be released, or his age or where he is from.

He said the family also talked to police about having the tractor removed from the field.

“Everything is upsetting to them,” Power said.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the collision.

Power said it is hard to understand why this crash occurred.

“This is a flat piece of road,” Power said. “It is straight. This is not a scenario where you go around a curve or a bend.”

Both families in this case are good people who are suffering, Power said, which is difficult to see.

“This is a senseless tragedy,” Power said.

As a longtime police officer in the foothills Power said he has seen many senseless accidents and said this is just another reminder for drivers to be diligent.

“You always have to be cognizant of the liabilities of driving,” he said.

Tractors are allowed to be on the road, Power added.

“There is legislation permitting tractors on highways,” he said. “That’s why you see farmers moving equipment from point A to point B.”

Tractors are required to have a reflective triangle on the back when they are on a roadway, Power said.

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