13-year-old dies after being run over in ‘tragic’ farming accident, Idaho officials say

An Idaho 13-year-old died in a farming accident Saturday, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said.

The boy was run over by a tractor, resulting in his accidental death, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office told McClatchy News in an email.

“EMS and our deputies were dispatched around 10 a.m. to a field adjacent to the Newdale Cemetery,” Sgt. Isaac Payne, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told McClatchy News. “He was deceased when they arrived. Our heart goes out to the family, and I have full confidence that their community will rally around them in support.”

The sheriff’s office told KPVI that officials aren’t certain what led to the boy’s death, but no foul play is expected.

Officials did not identify the teen, but social media posts and news outlets later identified him as Travis Ashcraft, according to KPVI.

The boy’s family told news outlets he had a contagious laugh and the “biggest smile,” East Idaho News reported. He was a freshman at Sugar-Salem High School, according to the news outlet.

“He was pretty much a go-getter from the beginning,” Travis’s mom, Jamie Ashcraft, told EastIdahoNews.com. “He was a very determined boy. It didn’t matter what I said, he went and did what he needed to do. … He lived life to the fullest.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 10:03 AM with the headline "13-year-old dies after being run over in ‘tragic’ farming accident, Idaho officials say."