A boy has died after slipping and falling under the wheels of a tractor in a freak Halloween accident.
The 12-year-old boy was visiting the Haunted Hilltop in Harrison, Tennessee, when the tragedy occurred.
According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the child – identified by his family as Sam Jessen – was attending the Halloween event on Saturday, October 12 when an attendant claimed he tried to jump onto the tractor from nearby bushes to scare the riders during the ride to make.
Sam then fell under the vehicle and was run over by the wheels.
Emergency services rushed to the event at around 10.45pm but found Sam unresponsive and he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Sam Jessen and his family. According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the child – identified by his family as Sam Jessen – was attending the Halloween event on Saturday, October 12 when an attendant claims he tried to jump onto the tractor from nearby bushes to scare riders on the ride.
The tragedy occurred at the Haunted Hilltop hayride attraction in Harrison, Tennessee. On Facebook, organizers said: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family affected by this, please keep us all in your prayers.”
A Hayride trailer (stock image). Organizers said on Facebook that riders on the ride were unaware of the tragedy that unfolded just before their eyes
Shockingly, organizers of the Haunted Hilltop revealed in a post on Facebook that the people on the ride were unaware of the devastating accident that had just occurred in front of them.
Local media have reported that Sam was a student at the nearby Chattanooga School for Liberal Arts. The school launched a GoFundMe to help his family after the accident and has raised over $32,000 to date.
The GoFundMe said: “Sam was so full of life, and this is a devastating loss for his family and community.”
On Facebook, Haunted Hilltop organizers said: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family affected by this. Please keep us all in your prayers.”
In a statement, reported by the Charlotte Observerthe sheriff’s office said: The HCSO family extends our thoughts and condolences to the family of the deceased youth, as well as to the others who witnessed the tragic event.
“We ask the community to keep this family in their prayers during this difficult time.”