An out-of-control hayride tractor crashed at a weekly youth outing in upstate New York, leaving three people critically injured and more than a dozen hurt.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Wellsburg, a small Chemung County village just across the Pennsylvania border, during a gathering of German Baptists, a religious Anabaptist sect.
The hayride was carrying 19 people, mostly children, when the tractor rolled while attempting a turn, according to WENY. The John Deere driver was pulling the hay wagon down Comfort Hill Road toward Berwick Turnpike when the vehicle tried to turn at an intersection too fast, Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom said.
The tractor appeared to lose control as it sped toward the intersection, and the driver swerved to the right, Schrom said. The maneuver caused the tractor to overturn and the wagon to disconnect, ejecting everyone on board.
At least 14 people were injured in the crash, Schrom said. The wounded were distributed across multiple hospitals and transport methods. One individual was airlifted to a hospital, while at least five others were transported to Robert Packer Hospital by ambulance. Another eight made their way to the hospital by private means.
Three of the injured remain in critical condition, according to RochesterFirst.
It remains unclear exactly how many of the injured are children, though witnesses at the scene said most of the riders were kids. The German Baptist group was holding a youth gathering the day of the crash, RochesterFirst reported.
Authorities have launched an ongoing investigation to determine what led up to the crash. The sheriff’s office has not yet released details about the driver’s identity or whether any charges are being considered.
The rural intersection where the crash occurred sits at the junction of Comfort Hill Road and Berwick Turnpike, roads that wind through the hilly terrain near the New York-Pennsylvania line. The area is familiar territory for the tight-knit German Baptist community, which had gathered for what was intended as a routine weekly youth event.
The crash has shaken the small village of Wellsburg, where such agricultural vehicles are common sights on local roads. The investigation continues as families await further word on those hospitalized.
Authorities said that an investigation is ongoing to determine what led up to the crash.