A child who slipped and fell underneath the wheels of a hayride trailer died Friday night at the Haunted Hilltop attraction in Harrison, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
The attraction has announced on social media that it’s closed on Saturday after a “tragic accident” that has left a family grieving.
Deputies responded shortly before 11 p.m. to the 8200 block of Highway 58 for a report of a juvenile who had been hit by a tractor, the sheriff’s office announced in a Saturday statement.
A chaperone for a group of children told deputies that they were playing near a hayride tractor route and were behind some bushes, the statement said.
The juveniles were trying to scare some hay riders as they passed by, and one of the children attempted to jump on the trailer, the statement said.
Deputies were told that one of the children had possibly slipped and fallen underneath the wheels and was found unresponsive, the statement said.
“Sadly, the juvenile succumbed to their injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene,” the statement said.
No name or age was made public, but the Haunted Hilltop said in its statement the child was a boy. The customers on the hayride didn’t even realize what happened, the attraction said on its Facebook page.
“Please give this family and the Hilltop family time to grieve and get through this horrible accident,” the statement said.
Jeff Chambers, owner of Haunted Hilltop, did not respond Saturday to a phone call and text message seeking additional information on what happened.
On its website, the attraction promises “a long haunted hayride through the woods and a corn field, very nice concession stand, bonfire, restrooms, large screen TV outside playing your favorite scary movie and a Halloween gift shop.”
The sheriff’s office extended thoughts and sympathy to the family of the child as well as the people who witnessed the tragic event, the statement said.
“We ask the community also keep this family in their prayers during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.