A forest ranger in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district was crushed to death on Friday morning while trying to stop a tractor laden with illegally mined sand, the Hindustan Times quoted police officials as saying.

Deputy Ranger Subedar Singh Kushwaha was on duty at a forest department post near Ghirona temple in Morena when he was killed, District Superintendent of Police Amit Sanghi said. “He tried to stop the tractor laden with illegally mined sand but the tractor driver increased his speed and Kushwaha came under the vehicle’s rear tyres,” Sanghi added. “The forest guards took him to the hospital where doctor declared him brought dead.”

The police are looking for the driver, who escaped with the vehicle, Sanghi said.

In April, a journalist investigating illegal sand mining cases in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district died after a dumper ran over him. In March 2012, a tractor carrying illegally mined stone ran over Indian Police Service officer Narendra Kumar in Morena after he tried to stop the vehicle.