An investigation is underway after teenager dies in a haunted hayride accident

ST. AUGUSTA, Minn. (WQOW/WCCO/CNN/CNN Newsource/WKRC) – An investigation is underway after a tragic accident on a haunted hayride killed a teenager over the weekend.

According to WCCO, 13-year-old Alexander Mick was killed when he was hit by a tractor-trailer at the Harvest of Horror in St. Augusta, Minnesota.

Authorities are still trying to figure out the details of the incident, including who was driving the tractor and what Mick was doing at the time. A spokesperson for the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that the investigation is ongoing, according to WCCO.

The accident has cast a shadow over Minnesota’s popular fall activities and highlighted the lack of control in the growing agritourism industry. Peter Marshall, owner of Peter’s Pumpkins in Shakopee, said there are no state reporting requirements or special licenses for operating such attractions.

Although tragic incidents in agritourism are rare, they are not unprecedented. Last month, a hayride overturned in an apple orchard in Wisconsin, injuring dozens of children. New research shows that about 115 children die in farming-related accidents each year, with most injuries occurring when children are not working.

Speaking to WCCO reporters, Casper Bendixsen, director of the National Farm Medicine Center, emphasized the need for greater support for farmers expanding into the hospitality industry.

“There is a lot at stake,” Bendixsen told the station. “Not only is the human health of visitors and workers at stake, there is also a company at stake. There is a community at stake.”

Minnesota has an agritourism law that provides operators with limited liability, except for negligence. In light of the tragedy, Harvest of Horror organizers have canceled the remaining evenings of the event out of respect for Alexander Mick’s family.