A PTA-sponsored hayride was turned into chaos in New Jersey when police intervened to stop hundreds of teens from fighting and causing havoc in the nearby park.
Collingswood Police Department announced on Facebook that they had to intervene in the Haunted Haunted Hayride in Knight Park, a family-friendly event after more than 200 children were dropped in Knight Park.
The Department of Public Safety stated, “Fights broke out quickly, mostly between arriving young people and unruly behavior.”
Authorities reported that the behavior of the young adults was out of control shortly after 8:20 pm on October 19. The young adults “started running recklessly through the crowd and cutting in line for the Hay Ride.”
According to the police, they dispersed the rowdy children to “ensure the safety of the families attending these events.”
After deciding that the hayride could not be safely continued, the police closed down the Halloween event.
The wild teenagers were not finished yet. According to police reports, between 50 and 70 juveniles took over Wawa, an area gas station.
As officers dispersed park crowds, they received a call about an incident that occurred at Wawa on Haddon Avenue. Wawa was able to disperse 50-70 juveniles who had taken over and were causing disruptions.
According to police, Wawa also had to shut down to prevent further damage.
The police said that chaos continued in the residential yards.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found about 80 juveniles involved in a large brawl. The officers were met by youths who were pushing, punching, and kicking the officers to continue fighting.
The officers dispersed the crowd and restored order. According to the department, they made no arrests.
In a Facebook post, staff at Collingswood Haunted Hayride stated that “the evening exceeded what we anticipated.”
“Unfortunately, as everyone saw and realized, a lot of the evening was beyond what could have been expected, but with the feedback and awareness we will review and organize to determine a way to move into next year,” the hayride wrote on Facebook. “We appreciate your support and without it our event could not happen.”