Idaho corn maze ‘Zombie Bus’ strikes, kills 18-year-old

HAUSER, Idaho (AP) – A bus carrying paintball players struck and killed a Washington state man inside a zombie attraction at a corn maze in northern Idaho, authorities said Saturday.
Jeremy T. McSpadden Jr., 18, of Spokane Valley, Washington, was a role player in the “Zombie Slayer Paintball Bus” attraction at the Incredible Corn Maze in Hauser on Friday night, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said.
The attraction is new this season, according to the corn maze’s website. For $15, customers ride the bus and shoot paintballs at the zombies as the vehicle drives through the corn maze.
It’s not clear why the bus hit McSpadden. He died at the scene.
The bus was going forward, and neither speed nor alcohol was a factor, Sgt. Ward Crawford said. Detectives had been interviewing witnesses and are expected to finish their preliminary investigation soon.
“The focus of the attraction is the bus creeps forward so the customers have plenty of opportunity to blast away at the zombies,” Crawford said. “This looks like it was just a horrific confluence of events.”
A recording on the corn maze’s information line Saturday morning said, “We are sad to announce that all of the attractions, including the free drive-in movie, will be canceled for the remainder of the weekend.”
A message left seeking further comment was not immediately returned.
Hauser is near the Washington border east of Spokane.