WALLA WALLA (AP) — Officials say a farmer in southeast Washington has died after he was run over by a tractor in his barn.

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reported Thursday that 74-year-old Charles Emery Jr. of Dayton had been loading hay onto the tractor when the accident happened.

Columbia County Deputy Coroner Dale Slack says the tractor slipped into gear and rolled over Emery on Saturday, killing him immediately.

A news release from his wife's employer, Columbia County Health System, says Emery moved to Dayton in 2012 after retiring from a position as a first mate for Washington State Ferries.

He spent much of his time working on the farm.

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