PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The mother of a girl killed in an autumn hayride crash says she is disappointed in the conclusion of a group of Maine leaders that there’s little the state can do to ensure the safety of such rides.
The hayride, at Harvest Hill Farm in Mechanic Falls in 2014, went out of control and overturned while traveling downhill, killing 17-year-old Cassidy Charette and injuring about 20 other riders.
The group said it’s not feasible to create new regulations, in part because enforcement would require specialized inspectors skilled enough to evaluate a broad range of farm equipment. Cassidy’s mother, Monica Charette of Oakland, said she’s let down by the group’s findings, but is glad the group brought awareness to the potential dangers of a traditional autumn activity that seems harmless.
Charette said Wednesday she still believes there should be a new law stemming from the accident.
“There should be a Cassidy’s Law if it could spare even one life and one family from this experience,” she wrote in a statement. “Our focus today, as it has been since Oct. 11, 2014, is on the love and light surrounding Cassidy and our community.”
Maine and many other states have no law that regulates farm amusements or requires safety inspections for hayrides. The Harvest Hill accident put a focus on the lack of regulations, and lawmakers last year submitted several bills seeking to regulate farm rides.
The safety group did agree to create a list of safety recommendations for those who wish to conduct hayrides. They are a fall tradition in New England and hundreds of them take place around Maine every year.
The 2014 crash resulted in charges including manslaughter against Harvest Hill Farm and misdemeanor charges against the driver and a mechanic. An attorney for the farm didn’t return a call seeking comment on Wednesday.
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