A 12-year-old boy who tried to scare some Halloween enthusiasts fell from a ride-along and was fatally run over by the vehicle in Tennessee over the weekend, police said.
The preteen was identified Monday as Sam Jessen, a student at Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, WSMV reported.
“Sam was so full of life, and this is a devastating loss for his family and community,” reads a GoFundMe aimed at raising the costs of his funeral, which has attracted nearly $34,000 in donations as of Tuesday morning. It also noted that the family has been devastated since the tragedy occurred on Friday.
Officers were called to the Haunted Hilltop Halloween event in Harrison — a Chattanooga suburb — just before 11 p.m., which featured a haunted house, haunted rides, a bonfire and concessions. When they arrived on scene, they were met by a chaperone for a group of children, including Jessen, who had hidden in the bushes near the ride to scare riders, according to a statement from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
A witness added that one of the youths “tried to jump on the trailer and may have slipped and fallen under the wheels,” police said.
Mikaela Forrester, who was driving at the time, said everyone on board shouted for the driver to stop, but the ride continued.
“We could see the young man lying on the ground as we were driving,” she told WSMV, adding that her father eventually jumped off the ride to help the boy and call 911.
In a statement from Haunted Hilltop, organizers claimed the boy “crossed a barrier” and “jumped out and tried to get to the side of the trailer” before being run over.
The attraction was closed this weekend “due to the tragic accident,” organizers said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the (affected) family. Please keep us all in your prayers!”
