Hayrides are a fall tradition in the Cincinnati area. You may think that a hayride should be a relatively safe way to have fun, but that is not always the case. On Oct. 22, more than two dozen hayride passengers in Ohio were victims of a serious tractor accident along Patton-Tract Road in Perkins Township just south of Bogart Road, around 10:30 p.m.

Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol say a 47-year-old Sandusky man was driving a tractor, pulling two trailers enclosed by bars, carrying between 60 and 80 passengers in all. The driver somehow drove off the right edge of the freshly paved road, overturning the second trailer he was pulling. The abruptly overturned trailer ejected its occupants, injuring 28 people seriously, some with broken bones. Two passengers were airlifted to Bellevue Hospital and are said to be in fair condition.

The hayride began by leaving a Mason Road bar, says a Highway Patrol sergeant. The hayride visited a number of bars in Sandusky, and it was returning to the Mason Road tavern when the accident took place.

Neighbors believe the freshly paved road may have made the accident worse, as the brim of the road is about 4 inches high. Many vehicles that slip off the edge will drop sharply and take serious damage. Such accidents have already occurred in the area.

Authorities state that the number of people on the wagons was not over any legal restriction. If the tractor is marked with a "slow vehicle" sign for the daytime and has enough lighting for night driving, then no law was broken in that regard.

Police say the driver was uninjured in the crash, but refused to take a field breath-alcohol test. The driver was arrested for OVI, open container, aggravated vehicular assault and failure to control. The suspect appeared in court on Oct. 25 at 9 a.m., where he pleaded not guilty.

Sources: NewsNet5.com, "State Highway Patrol investigates hayride crash that seriously injures 28 people," Oct. 23, 2011

WKYC, "Driver pleads not guilty in Sandusky hayride crash," Oct. 25, 2011