Accident victim mistaken for Halloween actor

[snopes]

Comment: I remember a story from Halloween in 1996 or 1997. It took place
in Atlanta, GA and it was a story reported on the radio. The story was
about a local haunted house. Apparently someone who worked at the haunted
house was walking down the road after parking a little ways away. He was
hit by a car and fell to the side hurt very badly. As people started to
arrive to visit the haunted house, they saw him lying there moaning and
thought he was an actor with the haunted house providing atmosphere as
they arrived, so they passed him by. He laid there for hours dying while
people walked right past him. Finally, someone realized he was not a prop
or an actor and called the police. I don't remember what happened next.
This story has been in my head for many years now, and I don't know if it
is true. Can you find out?

[KaiTheInvader]

While this doesn't necessarily discount that the scenario didn't (or couldn't) happen, at the haunted house I worked this year, we had lots of security not only inside the haunt, we also had both security and actors patrolling the parking lot and queue. This was not only (in the case of the actors) to keep the queue entertained, but also to make sure there were no security or health issues.
people tend to do crazy things and not think clearly when they are scared, and we had several people who would run straight through the parking lot afraid the monsters would get them, without looking for traffic. the security and actors regularly made sure there was no one hurt or in a potentially dangerous situation.
especially because actors are scheduled, signed in and out and work very closely with each other, if an actor was missing it would be realized fairly quickly. I've worked at several different haunts over the years, and the experience seems to be the same whatever the size.
so while I don't say it couldn't happen, it isn't as likely as it would seem to a visitor. there's a lot that goes into a haunted house, it is a business, and especially because of the nature of the business (what with prompting that flight or fight response) the safety of everyone is a priority.

(sorry if this was long and/or rambling, my train of thought is being interrupted by a small child screaming on the tracks.)


ETA: searching the hauntworld forums and site turns up nothing, and they love to talk about crazy accidents/deaths that have happened to their respective haunts.

[Mateus]

Originally Posted by KaiTheInvader

ETA: searching the hauntworld forums and site turns up nothing, and they love to talk about crazy accidents/deaths that have happened to their respective haunts.

There truly is a forum for everything, isn't there?

[frogpond]

I don't recall anything like this on the news here, for what it's worth.

Probably just a legend. However, recently, (last haloween) a guy on his balcony had a heart attack, died, and slumped over on the railing. No one did anything about it until 2,3 days later because they thought he was a decoration.

[Xia]

Originally Posted by KaiTheInvader

While this doesn't necessarily discount that the scenario didn't (or couldn't) happen, at the haunted house I worked this year, we had lots of security not only inside the haunt, we also had both security and actors patrolling the parking lot and queue. This was not only (in the case of the actors) to keep the queue entertained, but also to make sure there were no security or health issues.
people tend to do crazy things and not think clearly when they are scared, and we had several people who would run straight through the parking lot afraid the monsters would get them, without looking for traffic. the security and actors regularly made sure there was no one hurt or in a potentially dangerous situation.
especially because actors are scheduled, signed in and out and work very closely with each other, if an actor was missing it would be realized fairly quickly. I've worked at several different haunts over the years, and the experience seems to be the same whatever the size.

It really depends on how professional they are. I've been to many different haunted houses. Some used professional actors and were well-organized, others were more amateur or run by a school, church, or park district and did not have much (if any) security or wait entertainment.

[RCIAG]

Originally Posted by Mateus

There truly is a forum for everything, isn't there?

Yep, much like there's porn for everything.

Hauntworld

There's even several for Home Haunters, Home Haunt News, & for anyone interested in starting their own home haunt, Halloween Monster List is a great page full of a bazillion links on everything from how to make fog chillers to Corpsing 101!

Yeah we're an odd lot & I'm already planning & getting ready for this Halloween.

[Xia]

Originally Posted by RCIAG

Yep, much like there's porn for everything.

Hauntworld

There's even several for Home Haunters, Home Haunt News, & for anyone interested in starting their own home haunt, Halloween Monster List is a great page full of a bazillion links on everything from how to make fog chillers to Corpsing 101!

I belong to one called simply Halloweenforum(.com.)

[RCIAG]

Now that the weather is getting nice, I'm torn between working on gardening stuff & paper mache Halloween stuff!