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On October 12, Samuel "Sam" Jessen, a 12-year-old from Ooltewah, Tennessee, was tragically run over by a tractor along the Haunted Hilltop hayride route in Chattanooga, as reported by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Sam had been hiding with friends in the bushes and attempted to jump onto the trailer to scare its riders but slipped and fell beneath the wheels. Authorities found him unresponsive.
"Please keep the Jessen family in your prayers during this extremely difficult time, as well as our staff," Haunted Hilltop shared in a Facebook post.
In another tragic incident, Alexander "Xander" Mick, also 12, from Rice, Minnesota, was run over by a wagon at the Harvest of Horror Haunted Hayride in St. Augusta during the same weekend, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office reported. Although lifesaving measures were attempted, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Mick had been volunteering at the event, part of a group assigned to scare riders as they passed through the cornfield.
Out of respect for Mick’s family, Harvest of Horror announced it would cancel the remaining events of its 2024 season.
After the incident, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office and emergency medical teams arrived on the scene. Initially, the sheriff's office directed Harvest of Horror to keep the event running to prevent attendees from crowding the accident site. Later, they instructed the event to turn guests away and shut down for the evening.
"We are deeply shaken by this event and ask for thoughts, prayers, and support for the family and friends of those affected by this tragedy," the event organizers shared.
