Teen dead, more than 20 hurt in hayride crash

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

MECHANIC FALLS, Maine (AP) - A Halloween-themed hayride loaded with passengers crashed down a hill in the Maine woods and slammed into a tree, fatally injuring a teenage girl and leaving more than 20 other people hurt, police said Sunday.

Seventeen-year-old Cassidy Charette of Oakland died from her injuries after the Gauntlet Haunted Night Ride wagon overturned Saturday night at a rural farm in Mechanic Falls, authorities said.

The crash "threw everyone off the trailer and into each other and into trees," said Sgt. Joel Davis of the state fire marshal's office. He said a mechanical problem prevented the SUV pulling the wagon from stopping.

Several actors participating in the ride's scenes assisted the injured riders - including some performing CPR - and likely helped prevent the accident from being even worse, Davis said.

About a half-dozen of those hurt remained hospitalized Sunday afternoon but their injuries did not appear life-threatening, Davis said.

Charette was among a group of friends who visit Harvest Hills Farm every fall, Davis said. One of her fellow students at Messalonskee High School, 16-year-old Connor Garland of Belgrade, was being treated at Boston Children's Hospital, state police spokesman Steve McCausland said.

Oakland resident Kathy Mathieu, whose son Zachary is a close friend of Connor, said Charette and Connor attended the school's homecoming celebration together last week. She said the community is planning a fundraiser for Charette's family.

"Everybody is doing everything they can to help this family," Mathieu said. "There are no words to express the sorrow for the parents."

Charette was a member of the school's girls' soccer team and scored goals in recent games, according to results in local media. Garland was a member of the Central Maine Owls, a 15-and-under baseball team that won the state championship this year, according to the Portland Press Herald.

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Teen dead, more than 20 hurt in hayride crash