ST. CLOUD, Minn. — A new Stearns County Sheriff’s Office report offers details in the death of 13-year-old Alexander “Xander” Mick, who was killed on Oct. 12 while working at the Harvest of Horror Haunted Hayride in St. Augusta.
Mick, of Rice, was working as a “scarer” — someone who dressed up in a costume and stepped out to scare people — when he was run over by a trailer and killed. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that his death was accidental and caused by blunt-force trauma to the head.
The case is closed and nothing revealed in the investigation warranted it being referred to the county attorney’s office, Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka said.
The sheriff’s office report said Mick was wearing denim overalls over several layers of warm clothing, as well as what appeared to be a mask or wig. Employees of the event said scarers were assigned different zones along the hayride route and would step onto a bar on the side of the metal trailers to scare guests, according to the report.
However, the trailers did not stop along the route, and the driver of the tractor pulling the trailer that ran over Mick said the cruise was set at 2.5 mph, the report said. A sheriff’s deputy at the scene believed that Mick may have tripped or gotten caught on the back part of the trailer, which pulled him under, according to the report.
Multiple employees told investigators they had been concerned about Mick being a scarer, the report said. One employee told law enforcement he shared concerns over Mick’s size and age while another said Mick was not always aware of his surroundings.
Jason and Tracy Stock, the hayride owners, canceled the remainder of the season after Mick’s death.
Mick’s father, Steven Mick, is friends with the owners of Horror Haunted Hayride and permitted his son to volunteer as an actor for the hayride, according to the report.
Related Articles
Apple Valley drowning leads to record Minnesota OSHA fine for ‘willful’ workplace violations
Obituary: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, fatally shot at 50, ‘lived life to the fullest’
Long-delayed Minnesota iron mining project appears to be nearing finish line
Burglars believed to be targeting Asian households in Rochester
St. Cloud City Council seats its first Somali American member
Leave a Reply