A 56-year-old Texas woman died Saturday afternoon after the riding lawn mower she was operating overturned into a creek and pinned her beneath the heavy machine.
Deputies with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office were called to a home in the 100 block of Willow Creek Circle in Mansfield at approximately 5:10 p.m. on August 1 following reports of a serious residential accident.
When emergency crews arrived, they found that the mower had rolled into a creek bed behind the property with the woman trapped underneath.
Authorities said the victim’s husband had tried to free her before deputies reached the scene, but he was unable to lift the equipment or pull her to safety.
First responders found the woman submerged beneath the mower and pronounced her dead at the scene.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified her as Krista Thompson.
Her official cause of death has not yet been released and remains pending the results of an autopsy.
Detectives with the sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division are working to determine exactly how the mower overturned and ended up in the creek.
Although the investigation remains active, authorities said preliminary evidence does not indicate foul play or criminal activity.
The fatal accident is a tragic reminder of the dangers associated with operating heavy lawn equipment near steep slopes, unstable ground and waterways.
Riding mowers can become difficult to control on uneven or wet terrain, and sudden shifts in weight may cause them to tip or roll. Operators are urged to use extreme caution near embankments, creek beds and other areas where the ground may give way.
