Boy run over at haunted hayride had been a volunteer; death believed to be an accident, investigators say

ST. AUGUSTA, Minn. — Investigators believe the death of a 13-year-old boy at a haunted hayride in central Minnesota last week was an accident.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the boy, identified as Alexander Mick, was run over by a trolley wagon being pulled by a tractor in St. Augusta at the Horror Haunted Hayride on Oct. 12.

Investigators provided an update on Tuesday, saying Mick had been a volunteer at the event. He was part of a group whose job was to frighten riders being pulled through the cornfield.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says no one observed how the accident happened but investigators do not believe criminal charges will be filed.

As a result of the incident, the remaining nights of the 2024 Harvest of Horror were canceled, organizers said.

The investigation into Mick’s death remains open.