“It stopped, but it was still on my back,” the teenager continued. “Everybody got off and someone lifted it up off of me.”
Lanzieri’s parents were just a short drive away, preparing to leave the house and head to the Smithfield farm.
(Courtesy: The Lanzieri Family)
“We had tickets with some friends and were going to see her,” Giada’s father, Robert Lanzieri, said. “We actually had tickets for the 8:30 p.m. [hayride] and it was 8 p.m. when we got the call.”
That call came from Lanzieri’s phone, but it wasn’t her on the other end.
“I picked it up and it was her friend,” her father recalled. “She said, ‘Giada got run over by a tractor.'”
Rob, in disbelief, asked her friend if she had told the owners of Seven Cedars Farm what had happened.
“She was like, ‘Yes, yes, yes,'” he continued. “I said, ‘Alright, we are on our way.’ At that point, I was just laser focused on getting there.”
Her mother Kerri Lanzieri remembers running through the woods trying to get to her daughter.
“I could not get to her,” Kerri said. “She rode in the ambulance by herself and I heard later that she was asking for ‘Mom.'”
“That was probably one of the worst moments to have to experience as a parent,” she added.
Giada suffered a number of injuries, including a concussion, internal trauma and fractures to her lower extremities, according to her family. The first time the Lanzieris saw their daughter was in the emergency room at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
“She was this shade of gray and … she was definitely in shock,” Kerri said. “We just stayed there by her side.”
Seven Cedars Farm’s Haunted Hayride cut their season short that year and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched an investigation into what happened.
(Courtesy: The Lanzieri Family)
12 News has learned that the farm was cited for failing to “ensure that scare actor employees were protected from struck-by and crushing hazards,” and for not having “an infirmary, clinic or hospital used for the treatment of injured employees.” OSHA confirmed that the second violation was dropped through a settlement.
Seven Cedars Farm was also ordered to pay a $7,000 fine and implement additional safety precautions to protect their employees. 12 News reached out to the farm, which declined to comment. The Haunted Hayride is back up and running this year.
Giada spent four days in the hospital and returned to Smithfield High School in a wheelchair a month later. By February, she was back on the soccer pitch.
“It was awesome. She’s a miracle,” Kerri said. “Her first game was on a brand new field in our town and we were able to see her get a goal that night.”
The Lanzieris, who look back on what happened to their daughter in shock and horror, hope sharing their story will prevent this from happening to anyone else.
“It’s important as parents that you’re involved in the hiring process,” Robert said. “Just make sure there’s a safety plan an emergency plan in place when your child is going for a job”
The Lanzieris have hired an attorney on their daughter’s behalf and plan to sue the farm within the coming month. Their lawyer explained that the family is not only seeking compensation for Giada’s injuries, but also changes to ensure the safety of other employees at seasonal attractions.
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