Riverhead farmer and former Riverhead Planning Board member Lyle Wells died in an accident on his Sound Avenue farm yesterday.
Wells, 62, became trapped in the rear spreader apparatus of a tractor on his farm, according to Riverhead Town Police.
Police were called to the scene at 7:22 p.m. Riverhead detectives and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating the death. The spreader and the tractor that was towing it were impounded for further investigation, police said.
Wells, whose family has been farming the same land in Aquebogue since 1661 and operates one of the oldest family farms in New York State, was an outspoken advocate for Riverhead’s agricultural community for more than 30 years.
He was a former board member and past president of the Long Island Farm Bureau. He was a longtime member of the Riverhead Planning Board until 2014. Wells served on other town boards, such as the farmland and open space select committee and the agricultural advisory committee, both of which he served as chairman. He also served on the town’s economic development task force and its TDR task force. As a member of the stakeholders advisory group, Wells worked on developing the town’s 2003 master plan.
A celebration of the life of Lyle Wells will take place on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. on the hill at the farm located at 185 Phillips Lane, Riverhead.
Parking is available on the lawn and streets. Assistance to the hill will be provided for those unable to make the walk.
Memorial donations may be made to the Lyle C. Wells: Passion for Agriculture Fund, which will support aspiring farmers who are studying or beginning their careers in local agriculture.
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