Eight Horrifying and Real Halloween Accidents

Halloween is supposed to be all about pretend scares and the joy of embracing the gruesome and macabre. Unfortunately, these dark fantasies can turn into a reality when dangerous incidents occur. Like it or not, the fun of Halloween has been marred in the past by some truly terrifying incidents. These incidents sadly seem to happen every year, emphasizing the need for parents and party-goers to exercise caution.

To provide some cautionary tales and help put the need for Halloween safety in perspective, here are eight of the worst such incidents in recent memory:

Four Seriously Injured When Elevator Cable Snaps at Halloween Party

In 2011, a Halloween party in Coldwater Michigan at the Dutcher Funeral Home threatened to turn into a scene from an actual horror movie when the building’s elevator broke. After a cable snapped, screams rang out as the elevator plummeted over ten feet from the first floor to the basement.

Luckily, no one had any life threatening injuries, but four suffered broken bones and there was at least one reported concussion.

Read the whole story here.

Four-Year-Old and Man Suffer Burns While Carving Pumpkin

According to The Columbus Dispatch, pumpkin carving accidents happen all the time, but these usually involve sharp knives and uncooperative gourds.

One particular incident in Virginia Beach, Va. involving a 42-year-old man and his girlfriend’s four-year-old daughter took an unexpected twist. The accident occurred when the man decided to show the girl what the scooped-out insides of the pumpkin looked like. To do so, he inserted a grill lighter and lit the interior.

To his horror, the gases from the lighter rapidly built up inside the uncarved pumpkin and created an explosive flash fire. The man and child both ended up suffering first and second degree burns along significant parts of their body, including her face and right arm.

Click here for the original story.

Child Wearing Lord of the Rings Costume Gets Severely Burned

In 2004, an unnamed seven year old child fell victim to a Lord of the Rings Ringwraith costume that did not have proper flame retardant properties. According to reports, the costume lit up almost instantaneously after making contact with a flame. Since the costume included a mesh face mask of the same material, his face was badly burned as well.

Read the story here.

Five-Year-Old Aleigha Duvall Dies After Struck by Car

The Duvall family had their 2011 Halloween night turn from delight to tragedy when their five-year-old child Aleigha was struck by a truck near Albany, Kentucky. At 6:35 pm, Aleigh was struck by a Ford Ranger while trying to cross the street. Almost exactly 24 hours later, she died from her injuries.

The awful incident led to improved traffic control measures in the area during trick or treating.

Louisville Teen Accidentally Hangs Self During Prank

Fake hangings turning real sounds like the stuff of urban legend, but unfortunately it is a more common story than one might expect, especially when mischievous people aim for scares on Halloween.

One of the most recent of these incidents occurred on Halloween 2012, when 16 year-old Jordan Morlan of Louisville, Kentucky slipped his neck into a noose decoration in his front yard in an attempt to frighten his family. Official reports estimate that Morlan must have become disoriented and lost consciousness after the noose tightened and pressed upon his windpipe and jugular.

His little sister discovered him in the front yard moments later, and Jordan tragically died of organ failure just 12 hours after the incident.

Read more here.

Two Parents Die in Car Crash While Their Four Kids Wait at Home in Costume

In 2015, two Morgan County parents decided to take a quick run to the store for face paint in order to complete their children’s costumes. Sadly, the parents never returned. Their vehicle lost control on the road before skidding into a ditch and striking a tree.

Trying to soften the blow for the children, Georgia State Trooper Nathan Bradley got permission to look after them while their closest relative, their grandmother, drove up from Florida eight hours away. He felt saddened when he saw they were in full costume, wondering where their parents had gone. Trooper Bradley used the time to treat the children and help foster positive memories on Halloween instead of making the day one of tragic remembrance.

Read the whole story here.

Man Sexually Assaults Three Teens Coming Home from Trick-or-Treating

While not at all an accident, this awful Halloween-night event qualifies as every parent’s nightmare.

Three teenage girls in Dale City, Virginia were accosted while cutting through a shopping center parking lot on their way back from trick or treating. 42 year old Aaron Thomas threatened the two 17 year-olds and the 16 year-old with a lighter that looked like a handgun. He ordered them to come with him to a clearing nearby, where he sexually assaulted the two 17 year old girls.

Luckily, the 16 year old had the chance to text her mother, who notified police. Thomas escaped that night, but was later arrested and charged with two counts of rape and three counts of abduction.

The whole story can be read here.

Bronx Man and 10-Year-Old Granddaughter Die After Vehicle Hops Curb

When 10-year-old Nyanna Aquil expressed interest in going out for a second round of trick-or-treating, her 65-year-old grandfather just couldn’t say “no.”

This gesture of kindness took a horrific turn when a 52-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle and jumped the curb onto a Bronx sidewalk where Nyanna and others stood. Nyanna, her grandfather and another 24-year-old man all died from injuries resulting from the incident. Three others, including a 9-year-old and 3-year-old girl, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Nyanna’s mother expressed the tragedy in devastating terms when she described her happy relationship with her daughter. “She was the perfect child. She never gave me any problems. She was like an angel.”

Read more here.

Advice for Preventing Injuries and Reducing Risk on Halloween

A few of the incidents above cannot be described as preventable, but many Halloween accidents are. Parents, party-goers and anyone leaving the house on Halloween should therefore heed the following safety tips:

• Children under 13 should always be supervised and accompanied by an adult
• All children should wear reflective tape or lights on their costume to ensure night time visibility
• Everyone should avoid unlit areas, empty areas or unfamiliar neighborhoods
• Cross only at crosswalks or intersections. If neither is available, exercise extreme caution and avoid crossing roads with blind turns or high speed limits.
• Never drink and drive!
• Take care when buying or making children’s costumes. Risks include:
  • Masks or headgear that can obstruct vision
  • Sharp plastic edges or wires, especially near the face
  • Flammable materials, especially wigs and false beards
  • Strangling hazards
  • Loose clothing that can become entangled or that can pose a tripping or fire hazard
  • Toxic face makeup or garment materials
  • Footwear that is difficult to walk in, such as high heels
• Warn children to react defensively around vehicles, even if they are on a sidewalk
• Avoid risky stunts, especially ones that present strangling hazards
• Consider painting pumpkins instead of carving them
• With carved pumpkins, use a battery-operated light rather than a real open flame

What To Do If You Fall Victim to an Accident on Halloween

If you or a family member are injured by a hazard on Halloween, then you may have recourse against any at-fault parties. Contact experienced personal injury attorneys in Kentucky or Tennessee who can fight for your case. Dial 800 800 4600 or use our quick contact form to get a free case evaluation and potentially start your case today.