12-year-old boy killed during Halloween ghost tour, officers say

HARRISON, Tenn. (Gray News/TMX) – Officials say a child was killed during a Halloween ghost tour in Tennessee this weekend.

The Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 12-year-old Samuel Jessen.

According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the death happened Friday evening during the Haunted Hilltop Halloween event in the Chattanooga suburb of Harrison, which featured a haunted house, haunted rides, a bonfire and concessions.

The sheriff’s office said Samuel accidentally fell under a trailer during the spooky ride and was run over.

Officers responded to the attraction to report that a child had been hit by a tractor.

The supervisor of a group of youths told officers that the children were playing near the hayride trail and were hiding behind some bushes to scare riders. One of the children “tried to jump on the trailer and may have slipped and fallen under the wheels,” officers were told.

Haunted Hilltop organizers wrote on Facebook that the boy had “crossed a barrier” and “jumped out and tried to get to the side of the trailer” before being run over.

The Haunted Hilltop was closed Saturday “due to the tragic accident,” organizers said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family affected by this. Please keep us all in your prayers!”

Officers also expressed their condolences to the family and everyone involved.

“The HCSO family extends our thoughts and condolences to the family of the deceased youth, as well as to the others who witnessed the tragic event. We ask the community to also keep this family in their prayers during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.

Copyright 2024 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. TMX contributed to this report.