Fall Youth Outing Ends in Horrific Hayride Crash in Upstate NY

Hayride Overturns, Injuring 14

What was supposed to be a fun fall youth outing in Upstate New York turned into a terrifying scene Sunday afternoon when a tractor pulling a hayride overturned, injuring 14 people.

This is absolutely heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with those who were injured, their families, and everyone in the community impacted by this frightening accident.

The crash happened Sunday afternoon at around 4:30 pm in Wellsburg, a small village in Chemung County near the Pennsylvania border, roughly 2.5 hours southwest of Albany.

Many On Board Were Children

According to reports, 19 people were riding on the hay wagon, many of them children, as part of a German Baptist youth gathering.

Chemung County Sheriff William Schrom said the John Deere tractor was traveling on Comfort Hill Road toward Berwick Turnpike when the driver attempted to negotiate a turn.

Authorities say the tractor lost control and overturned, while the wagon became disconnected and the people riding aboard were ejected.

3 Remain in Critical Condition

Reports say that fourteen people were injured in the crash, including three who were reported to be in critical condition. One victim was airlifted to a hospital, while several others were transported by ambulance. Additional victims reportedly arrived at the hospital by private vehicles.

It remains unclear exactly how many of those injured were children. The images from the scene show the tractor overturned near a home as emergency crews responded.

For many families, a hayride is one of those simple traditions that make fall special, which makes what happened during this youth outing especially heartbreaking.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and what caused the tractor to overturn.