The son of a farmer crushed under a vehicle he was working on said his father “could have died a thousand times” in other ways, so it was a shock his life ended the way it did.  Melvin Patrick “Speedo” Robinson was the first of two farmers killed days apart in December 2023 when using a tractor to lift a vehicle.  The 77-year-old was found dead, pinned under the car, when the system he had used to hoist it using the front forks of the tractor failed.  The final moments of the Golden Bay farmer’s life were spent trying to remove wire from beneath the car he used to train his beloved horses, his son, Brendon Robinson, said.  Golden Bay farmer Melvin Robinson with sons Brendon (right) and Zane Robinson. Melvin was one of two farmers killed in separate accidents in December 2023 while working beneath a vehicle. Photo/ Robinson family  Then, days later, on December 22, 69-year-old Patrick Richard Goodin died on a farm in Ōhaupō, Waikato, when he was crushed by a farm vehicle which fell on him as he worked beneath it.  Goodin had also used the front forks of his tractor to raise the vehicle so he could get underneath and remove grass caught around the driveshaft.  Coroners’ warnings  Associate Coroner Stephen Burdes has now issued a warning about the lethal use of tractors in a manner they were “clearly not designed for”.  His comments in findings released today into Robinson’s death followed those of another coroner in relation to Goodin’s death.  Coroner Ian Telford said then that it was a reminder to the farming community to always use farm machinery in line with its intended purpose.  In today’s findings, Coroner Burdes urged “anyone, especially farm workers”, to “resist any temptation” to use the front forks of a tractor, or forklift, to lift a vehicle to work underneath.  Popular member of the community  Melvin Robinson was a popular and active member of the Golden Bay community, having moved there from Palmerston North in the early 1980s, when the opportunity came up to buy his first farm, his son, Brendon, told NZME.  “He looked at one up in Kaitāia and one down here, and chose down here because it was right by the sea.”  The Robinsons initially lived in Pakawau, at the base of Farewell Spit, before Melvin bought a small farm in the seaside hamlet of Patons Rock, about 10km west of Tākaka.  Brendon told NZME on behalf of brothers Aaron and Zane, and their sister, Bridget, that their dad was a “bit of a larrikin” who liked a beer, supporting and coaching rugby, and who loved his horse racing and the trotters he trained.  He said when they had all grown and left home, Melvin got into training horses on the long, sandy beach at Patons Rock.  Golden Bay farmer Melvin Robinson developed a love of horses he trained on the beach at Patons Rock. Photo/ Robinson family  “He’d train them behind his cart or he’d do three of them at a time behind the car.”  Brendon said it was this vehicle that his father was working on at the time of his death.  Fatal decision  On the morning of December 11, 2023, Melvin was at home figuring out how to remove wire, which had become wrapped around the car’s driveshaft.  A friend who had called in suggested using a disc grinder, which Melvin thought was a good idea, Coroner Burdes said.  About 3pm, Melvin’s neighbour heard the tractor running, and grew increasingly concerned when it was still running 30 minutes later but had not moved.  As he went to investigate, he met a police officer who was passing at the time and the two went to Melvin’s property.  They found the tractor still running with its front forks up in the air, with a car positioned below and a chain running from the forks to the front of the car.  They found Melvin pinned beneath it, lying next to a disc grinder.  The opinion of the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem found he died of cr...