A Selma man was killed in a farming accident Thursday afternoon after being run over by a tractor he was refueling.

Captain Mike Granthum with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department identified the man as 40-year-old William Thomas.

The accident happened around 3:15 p.m., and Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We don’t know exactly what happened. It is still being investigated,” Granthum said. “He was in the process of refueling it when it happened. You could see where he had the hose in the tractor.”

Granthum said he was helping a farmer in Tyler bail hay when the accident happened.

“We don’t know if the tractor jumped into gear or he knocked it into gear, but the tractor was running,” Granthum said.

Granthum said Thomas was known around town for helping people, whether it be with farm work or helping sweep floors at a store.

“He was a good guy. He helped around the community. He went to different places,” Granthum said. “You would see him anywhere from Gabe’s Grocery to down there. He was a good guy. Everybody thought highly of him. I never heard anything negative about him. He was just helping out on a farm.”

Granthum said Thomas was close to the farmer he was helping.

“He’s upset. He’s shocked it happened,” Granthum said. “[Thomas] has helped him before. He’s not actually on payroll or anything. He just comes by and helps him.”

This is the second tractor fatality in recent months. A Lowndes County man, 72-year-old Allen Wood Spivey, was killed in June when the tractor he was driving started to fall off of an embankment.

“There are quite a bit of farming accidents. There is a lot of farming that goes on,” Granthum said. “They’re dangerous, especially old model tractors. You’ve got to be careful.“