More than a dozen people were injured Sunday afternoon when a farm tractor carrying a youth group on a hayride overturned in Chemung County.
The crash was reported at 4:38 p.m. at Berwick Turnpike and Main Street in Wellsburg, according to the Chemung County Sheriff's Office daily log.
Tractor overturns in Wellsburg
Chemung County Sheriff Bill Schrom said a farm tractor was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver attempted to turn at an intersection and lost control.
As the driver traveled from Comfort Hill Road onto Berwick Turnpike, a deputy on patrol in the area witnessed the incident. The driver had passed a posted stop sign, Schrom said.
The turn caused the tractor and trailer to separate. The tractor overturned multiple times, pinning the driver underneath and dragging
him several yards before the tractor struck a tree. The driver was no longer pinned when the tractor stopped, Schrom said.
Passengers later told deputies that the tractor's brakes started to smoke while they were traveling on Comfort Hill Road. The driver also appeared to be "struggling with some mechanical issues" shortly before losing control, Schrom said.
Passengers thrown from wagon
Fifteen people riding on the trailer were thrown from the wagon, while another five people jumped off about 1.5 miles before the crash, Schrom said.
Several people suffered serious injuries, while others suffered minor injuries, according to the sheriff's office.
Schrom said 21 people were part of the group, including the tractor driver. Sixteen people were involved in the crash after five passengers had jumped off before the tractor overturned.
Several of the more seriously injured passengers were taken to area hospitals.
The driver, a 16-year-old from Gillett, Pennsylvania, was the only person involved in the crash who remained hospitalized Monday, according to the sheriff's office. He was taken to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, where he remained in critical condition.
Youth group on hayride after church
The tractor was being used for a hayride for members of a German Baptist community from Ridgebury, Pennsylvania, and Wellsburg. The community holds weekly youth gatherings on Sundays following church services, Schrom said.
The group included 21 people, ranging in age from 4 to 19, and left a home on Robinson Road for the hayride.
No other property damaged
Although the tractor struck a tree, no houses, garages or other property were damaged during the crash, deputies said.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash.
Wellsburg is a rural village within the town of Ashland, a few miles north of the Pennsylvania border.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New details released in New York hayride crash; teen driver critical
