A John Deere tractor partially crushed a 1995 Ford Escort in a head-on collision on Friday at approximately 7:40 a.m. in Abbotsford.
The driver of the car was taken by air ambulance to a Vancouver-area hospital.
Dairy farmer Rudi Meier told The News he was driving on Whatcom Road, pulling a seed mixer, and turned onto South Parallel Road to see the car coming straight for him, in his lane. He estimated the speed of the car at about 70 km/h.
"I looked up and he was already in my lane, and he just ran straight into me," Meier explained.
While he suffered no major injuries, Meier said he was shaken up and a little sore after the incident. His main concern was for the other driver.
"I was afraid of hurting him more than anything and I was just hoping I could slow down enough that he might miss me or maybe I'd just get a little of him."
He said he "feared the worst" when he got out of the tractor to check on the motorist, who Meier said was not coherent.
A nurse and a volunteer Chilliwack firefighter were close by and came to assist the driver while Meier called 911.
His statements have not been verified by police, but the accident did occur in his lane, with the Escort appearing to have crossed the line.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald told The News that the driver of the Escort is suffering from serious injuries, but would not go into further details of his condition other than to say that he was in and out of consciousness.
The driver has not been identified yet, but is a man and appears to be his mid to late 40s.
Collision reconstructionists are on scene to investigate the cause of the accident.
