Charges filed in fatal accident

Traffic charges have been filed against a Franklin County farmer following a fatal accident last week that claimed the life of a McLeansboro man.

Steven S. Browning, of Benton, was operating a tractor shortly after 9 p.m. on July 10 that was pulling a bean drill on Route 14 east of Benton when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle being driven by Lavern J. Johnson, 50, of McLeansboro. Browning has been charged with operating an over-width vehicle and improper lane usage.

According to the police report Browning was driving the tractor west on Route 14 and the farm machinery took up the entire westbound lane and protruded into the eastbound lane also. Johnson was traveling eastbound and struck the tractor, authorities said.

Johnson was killed on impact from head and chest injuries according to Franklin County Coroner Marty Leffler.

A few minutes after the initial crash a second vehicle, driven by 71-year-old Mary Stich, of Dahlgren, also struck the tractor. Stich had to be extricated from her vehicle by first responders from Ewing-Northern Fire Protection District. Stich was airlifted from the scene to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville with critical injuries.

Also injured in the accident was Kurtis T. Hunter, of Johnston City, who had stopped and was outside his vehicle calling 911 when he was struck by the vehicle being driven by Stich, after she collided with the tractor. Hunter was taken to Franklin Hospital with injuries to his legs and was treated and released.

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