Coimbatore : A tractor driver in a farm near Karamadai in the rural limits, was trampled to death by a lone tusker late Wednesday night, forest department sources said Thursday.

Gnanaprakasham, 31, hailing from Mannarkadu in Kerala, was working in the farm and was returning on a motorcycle with his friend Arunkumar to home in Periyanaickenpalayam on the outskirts, last night.

As they reached the gate, a lone pachyderm suddenly appeared from the bush and caught Gnanaprakasham, sitting on the pillion, with its trunk and hurled down and trampled, resulting in his spot death.

Arunkumar with minor injuries managed to escape and informed the villagers who in turn alerted the police and forest department officials, some of whom rushed to the spot and recovered the body and sent it for postmortem to the Government Hospital, they said.

With the movement of wild elephants in the area, forest department has already issued warning to the public not to venture into the areas during night hours.