Hayride Tractor Crash in Upstate New York Leaves 14 Injured, 3 Critically

A tractor pulling a hayride lost control and overturned during a youth gathering in upstate New York on Sunday afternoon, injuring 14 people — three of them critically, according to local authorities and news reports.

The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. in Wellsburg, a small village in Chemung County just across the Pennsylvania border, during a youth outing of the German Baptists, an Anabaptist sect. The hayride was carrying 19 people, most of them children, WENY reported.

Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom said the driver of the John Deere tractor was pulling the hay wagon down Comfort Hill Road toward Berwick Turnpike when the tractor attempted a turn at the intersection too fast, according to the New York Post. The tractor appeared to lose control as it sped toward the intersection, and the driver swerved to the right, Schrom told the New York Times. The manoeuvre caused the tractor to overturn and the wagon to disconnect, ejecting everyone on board.

At least 14 people were hurt. One person was airlifted to hospital, at least five others were taken to Robert Packer Hospital by ambulance, and another eight were brought in by private means, officials said. Three of the wounded remain in critical condition, RochesterFirst reported.

It is unclear exactly how many of the injured are children, though witnesses said most of the riders were young. Authorities said an investigation is ongoing to determine what caused the crash.

Sources:

• New York Post: https://nypost.com/2026/10/04/us-news/hayride-tractor-crashes-injuring-dozens-including-3-critically-at-upstate-ny-youth-outing/
• Pulptastic: https://pulptastic.com/out-of-control-hayride-tractor-crashes-at-upstate-new-york-youth-outing-injuring-14-including-3-critically/