CUSSEWAGO TOWNSHIP — A Hayfield Township man was killed Sunday when a tractor he was operating overturned and landed on his chest.

Terry L. Williams, 60, of 17567 Matt Road, Meadville, was pronounced dead by Crawford County Corner deputies Scott Schell and Jay Parker at approximately 4:10 p.m.

Schell said Williams was operating a tractor at 11041 Springboro Road, Springboro. He was cutting down trees and pulling them out of the woods to cut them up. Schell said one tree caught on a standing tree, upsetting the tractor onto Williams.

Schell said cause of death was asphyxiation.

Don Cady, assistant chief at Springboro Volunteer Fire Department, said Williams was pulling logs from one field to another in a tree line. He said when the one limb caught on the other, apparently Williams was traveling at an angle that he did not see that happen.

The tractor flipped over and caught fire, pinning Williams underneath.

Cady said Williams’ brother, Raymond, was mowing grass nearby and heard the tractor rev up and saw it catch fire. The brother took a fire extinguisher to put out the fire before firefighters arrived on scene.

“It’s kind of tough when you know the person,” said Cady, about the accident. “We live in a small community. He was a nice guy.”

Assisting at the scene were volunteer firefighters from Conneautville and Hayfield and Conneaut Lake Area Ambulance Service as well as Pennsylvania State Police.