Driver of hayride in incident that left a 5-year-old boy in serious condition has been charged by Florida Highway Patrol.

Staff report

The man who was pulling a trailer that ran over a 5-year-old boy during a Halloween night hayride has been charged by Florida Highway Patrol.

According to a FHP press release, John Waldrip, 40, of Panama City has been charged with allowing a passenger to ride on the exterior of the vehicle.

During Halloween trick-or-treating hours on Tuesday night, Waldrip was pulling a trailer with hay bails and neighborhood kids when Nathan Adam Larsen fell off the front of the trailer and was subsequently run over.

The incident occurred on White Oaks Boulevard near State Road 77 in northern Bay County shortly after dark.

Authorities shut down a section of S.R. 77 northbound in that area to create a landing zone for a medical helicopter. Larsen was lifeflighted to Bay Medical Sacred Heart in Panama City where he was listed in serious condition.

The northbound lanes of State 77 were reopened around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday.

In the original FHP release it was noted that no charges were pending.