Former U.S. Rep. Jim Traficant, Jr., the nine-term Democratic member of Congress from Ohio who spent several years in prison on bribery charges, died Saturday after suffering serious injuries at his farm, reports NBC News.

Traficant, 73 years old, had been in a Youngstown hospital in critical condition since Tuesday, when an “older-style tractor” he was driving flipped over and landed on top of him as he pulled into his barn, reported NBC affiliate WFMJ. 

Traficant passed away Saturday at 11:30 a.m, said family attorney and spokeswoman Heidi Hanni. The long-serving Democratic congressman passed away at at the St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Considered a centrist Democrat, Traficant represented the 17th Congressional District in Ohio from 1985 to 2002. Colorful and eccentric, he was known for ending his speeches on the House floor with a phrase from “Star Trek,” saying, “Beam me up!”

After being convicted in April 2002 on federal charges of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion, Traficant was expelled from Congress. The House voted 420-1 in favor of expulsion in July 2002. The sole vote opposing expulsion was cast by Rep. Gary Condit, a California Democrat who suffered a primary defeat after police said he acknowledged having an affair with Chandra Levy, a former Washington intern who was murdered.

Traficant, who was married with two daughters at the time, maintained his innocence.  He served seven years in prison.

The native of Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio was a former quarterback for the University of Pittsburgh football team, where he played with future NFL coaches Mike Ditka and Marty Schottenheimer.

Traficante earned a masters degree at Youngstown State University. He was elected Mahoning County Sheriff and served four years before running for Congress in 1984.

In the early 1980s, Traficant endeared himself to voters by defying the courts. He went to jail for three nights rather than foreclose on the homes of workers laid off from the dying steel industry in Youngstown.

While serving in Congress, Traficant was the only member of the House without a committee assignment. He was denied a seat by his fellow House Democrats after he voted for Republican Dennis Hastert as Speaker of the House.