Investigators blame fatal hayride accident on mechanical problem
Video: Investigators zero in on cause of fatal hayride accident
Officials said Sunday morning that Charette died overnight at Central Maine Medical Center. They said she was on the ride with several other students from Messalonskee Highpatagonia better sweater mens Schopatagonia better sweater brownol in Oakland.
Connor Garland, 16, from Belgrade, who was among the teenagers from the high schopatagonia better sweater icelandic3ol, was transferred from Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston to a Boston Children s Hospital. A hospital spokesperson said Garland was listed in fair condition Monday morning.
Eleven people were taken to CMMC, and seven others were brought to St. Mary s Medical Center, also in Lewiston. One person was taken to Maine Medical Center. The injured include ride workers and patrons. Many have been treated and released, police said.
As of Monday morning, three people remained at CMMC in stable conditions, according to a hospital spokesman.
We re talking broken bones, patagonia better sweater icelandicbroken leg bones, femur bones, broken backs, shoulder injuries, ankle injuries, scrapes, cuts and head injuries, Sgt. Joel Davis of the State Fire Marshal s Office said.
David Brown, 54, of South Paris, is an experienced and licensed drpatagonia bag reviewsiver, event spokesmpatagonia black hole wheeled duffel reviewan Scott Lansley said. Brown has been repatagonia addie boots reviewsleased from the hospital, he said. Another worker, the narrator of the ride, is expected to be released Sunday, Lansley said. They believe a mechanical problem didn t allow the Jeep to stop. Inpatagonia better sweater icelandic1vestigators took the trailer away from the scene Sunday morning.
State police impounded the Jeep and will conduct a safetpatagonia better sweater icelandic0y inspection on it, spokesman Steve McCausland said.
We can t even imagine the grief that the families are feeling right now, said Peter Bolduc, owner of Harvest Hill Farms. For the remainder of the season, we are suspending any activities at The Gauntlet out respect for those families and we want you to know that we are all impacted by this as well, all of the families here.
The Fire Marshal s Office licenses mechanical amusement rides in Maine; however, the hayride did not require one. Davis said he believes this is the first incident of its kind in the state.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their families, said John Wallace, a spokesman for the farm.
Wallace said the hayride is a separate business on the property. The ride opened on Oct. 3. It has been closed indefinitely.
Pumpkin Land and all events at Harvest Hill Farms were closed Sunday.
Events and practices will continue as scheduled at Messalonskee High School on Monday. There is no school Monday due to the Columbus Day holiday. Counselors will also be available throughout the week, Principal Jon Moody said.
School leaders also said the Oakland Sidney United Methodist Church will provide non denominational assistance at14 West School St. The restaurant wrote on its Facebook page Sunday, We have heard from the family of the 17 year old who tragically lost her life yesterday on the haunted hayride and they are in support of us having our fundraiser tomorrow for the Messalonskee Junior Class! Please join us tomorrow to help her classmates and celebrate her life and those she has touched!
TO OUR TOP STORY: TOMORROW WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HOLIDAY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF AT MESSALONSKEE HIGH SCHOOL. BUT THE SCHOOL WILL BE OPEN AS A PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO GRIEVE. 17 YEAR OLD CASSIDY CHARETTE OF OAKLAND WAS KILLEpatagonia outlet store in caD WHEN A HAYRIDE TOPPLED OVER IN MECHANIC FALLS . INJUpatagonia outlet store qatarRING 22 OTHERS . INCLUDING SEVERAL OF HER CLASSMATES. W M T W NEWS 8 S PAUL MERRILL HAS THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE INVESTIGATION STATE POLICE ESCORT THE TRAILER FROM SATURDAY NIGHT S HAYRIDE CRASH AWAY FROM THE SCENE LATE SUNDAY MORNING. INVESTIGATORS TELL US IT WAS ABOUT 8:30 LAST NIGHT WHEN SOMETHING WENT HORRIBLY WRONG ON THE GAUNTLET HAUNTED NIGHT RIDE. There s multiple people with broken bones, neck injuries, back injuries It looks like the hayride operator was going very fast and went off into the woods. INVESTIGATORS SAY IT APPEARS THAT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM PREVENTED THE JEEP TOWING THE TRAILER FROM STOPPING. THE RIDE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND patagonia discount code keyHIT A TREE. TWENTY THREE PEOPLE WERE HURT IN THE CRASH. ONE OF THEM, 17 YEAR OLD CASSIDY CHARETTE OF OAKLAND, DIED OVERNIGHT AT THE HOSPITAL. CHARETTE AND SEVERAL OTHER VICTIMS ARE STUDENTS AT OAKLAND S MESSALONSKEE HIGH SCHOOL. STATE POLICE TELL US 16 YEAR OLD CONNOR GARLAND OF BELGRADE WAS TAKEN TO BOSTON CHILDREN S HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. HARVEST HILL FARMS OWNER PETER BOLDUC AND HIS FAMILY MADE A BRIEF STATEMENT ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. We can t even imagine the grief that the families are feeling right now. For the remainder of the season, we are suspending any activities at The Gaunlet out respect for those families and we want you to know that we are all impacted by this as well all of the families here. INVESTIGATORS ARE PRAISING THE PUMPKIN LAND WORKERS FOR THE WAY THEY RESPONDED LAST NIGHT SAYING THEIR ACTIONS MAY HAVE SAVED LIVES. HAVE SAVED LIVES. We re talking young people 17 year old people administering first aid to other victimpatagonia everlong review 5stars, doing the best they could. victims, doing the best they could. THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL S OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTING MECHANICAL AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES, BUT THERE ARE NO REQUIRED SAFETY INSPECTIONS TO PREVENT HAYRIDE ACCIDENTS. This is the first I think we ve ever had in the State of Maine like this and that s why Our agency probably handles something more closely to what this is than other agencies so we were asked to look at it. STATE POLICE SAY THE MAN WHO WAS DRIVING THE JEEP IS 54 YEAR OLD DAVID BROWN OF SOUTH PARIS. PUMPKIN LAND SPOKESMAN SCOTT LANSpatagonia better sweater icelandic2LEY SAYS BROWN IS AN EXPERIENCED TRUCK DRIVER WITH A COMMERCIAL DRIVER S LICENSE. STAFFERS HERE ARE SHAKEN UP NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. We re a tight community here and we have a lot of high school kids who work here who are vastly affected by this. It really hits home very much hits home. Paul Merrill/WMTW News 8: Messalonskee High School will have grief counselors on hand tomorrow. In Mechanic Falls, Paul Merrill, WMTW News 8. AND TONIGHT WE RE HEARING THAT BOTH OF THE PATIENTS ADMITTED TO CENTRAL MAINE MEDICAL CENTER IN LEWISTON REMAIN THERE FOR TREATMENT. WE RE TOLD THEY ARE IN STABLE CONDITION. YOU CAN FIND CONTINUING COVERAGE OF THIS STORY ON OUR WEBSITE, W M T W DOT COM. AND ON THE NEWS 8 MOBILE APP. WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION THERE ABOUT COUNSELING AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY TOMORROW. ALL ONLINE AT WMTW DOT COM.
