These Terrifying Tragedies Were Mistaken for Halloween Displays
Halloween displays can be entertainingly frightening, but some tragedies have taken place on or around this holiday, leading people to mistake an accident fatality for a macabre decoration. The following are some notorious tragedies that people initially thought were mere displays.
Hanging Victim in a Haunted House
One more recent event involved a worker who was injured while working in a haunted house. It specifically involved a teenaged actor in a Missouri haunted house who accidentally hanged herself in 2011. This particular incident didn’t end in tragedy as the girl survived this life-threatening accident. However, it almost became a fatal accident due to the fact that haunted house guests thought her distress was part of the act. The woman made a full recovery after the accident, although she has no memory of it.
Hit-and-Run Haunted House Accident
In Connecticut in 1997, a woman was hit by a vehicle that didn’t stop just outside of a display at a haunted house. As a result, people passing by on the way to the haunted house thought the injured woman was an actor contributing to the atmosphere. The woman eventually succumbed to her severe injuries and the authorities were able to locate the driver responsible.
It’s worth noting that these types of incidents can deter people from attending these haunted houses in the future, leading these businesses to face financial problems due to decreased attendance.
Man Dies on Front Porch
One day after Halloween in 2013, a man happened to die on his home’s front porch following a late-night shift at work. His body remained unseen on the porch overnight, until a mailman the next day came across it. He thought the body was an elaborate Halloween decoration, which led him to ultimately dismiss it. After the police got involved and discovered the body, the mailman became aware of and distraught at his mistake.
Suicidal Tree Hanging
In another incident involving hanging, a woman in Delaware committed suicide via hanging, choosing a neighborhood tree as the site. Subsequently, people the next day mistook the hanging body for a Halloween display and neglected to contact authorities. Again, the police were eventually notified and determined that it was a real body.
In case someone has been injured in an accident on or near Halloween, it’s important for people to take a second look before assuming a realistic-looking body is simply part of a display.