(Photo courtesy of the Harvey County Sheriff)

NEWTON – A 21-year-old Whitewater man was taken to a Wichita Hospital after the swather he was operating was struck by a train in Harvey County.

21-year-old Jared Kornfeld of Whitewater was taken to Wesley Medical Center where he’s now listed as stable condition. He was conscious upon the arrival of emergency personnel and was flown from the scene by Eagle Med Helicopter. He remains in the intensive care at Wesley for observation.

It was around 9:30 a-m Friday morning, Harvey County emergency units responded to a call to the accident at Grace Hill Road near SE 125th Street.

Two men working in a nearby field witnessed the train traveling north and the tractor crossing the tracks going east. The train’s horn was being activated prior to approaching the intersection. Kornfield apparently did not hear the horn or see the approaching train. The swather was impaled on the front locomotive and its believed he was ejected from the cab of the swather.

The intersection does not have crossing guard arms or blinking lights. The Swather was dragged 1,290 feet from the point of impact.