Illinois Hayride Tragedy Reminiscent of Maine’s

Repeat of death and injury is “senseless,” says Berman & Simmons Attorney

WGME update 10/30/20: Another deadly hayride crash triggers warning about lack of regulations, safety standards. 

October 29, 2020 – Lewiston, Maine — Once again, a haunted hayride through a farmer’s field has ended in an avoidable death, this time in Illinois. Last weekend a 32-year-old woman was killed and at least 17 others were injured when the tractor towing a trailer with more than 20 people aboard lost control on an incline and fell into a ravine.

This tragedy is similar to the fatal 2014 hayride crash in Mechanics Falls, Maine that killed 17-year-old Cassidy Charette and injured more than twenty others.

Six years after the tragic loss of Cassidy Charette, her family and friends continue to honor the Oakland teen through the ShineOnCass Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization established to carry on the spirit, continue the work, and encourage others to live the legacy of Cassidy through community service and kindness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation has led ShineOnCass Kindness Projects to support student mentorship, essential workers, youth volunteer work and other meaningful contributions in Maine.

“It is terrible that this happened again,” said attorney Daniel Kagan who was on the Berman & Simmons legal team led by Jodi Nofsinger that represented Cassidy’s family in her wrongful death case. “The Charette family brought their case to expose these dangers with hope that what happened to Cassidy would never happen again. It is senseless that this tragedy was repeated.”