Altamont girl gravely injured at the fair: 'Our hearts were shattered'

Aug. 1—Authorities continue to investigate the accident that gravely injured 5-year-old Harper L. Finn during the opening lap of the first harness race at the Effingham County Fair on Sunday.

By Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe account had raised nearly $68,000 for the Finn family.

"Our hearts were shattered when a tragic accident happened to a beloved little girl, Harper," notes the website of the fundraiser organized by the Illinois Harness Horseman's Association. "With tearful eyes and heavy hearts, we come to you, seeking your kindness and generosity to help her family.

"No amount is too small, and every donation will be deeply appreciated. Together, let's rally around Harper and show her that she is surrounded by a caring and compassionate community. Your generosity is greatly appreciated."

The site is at gofundme.com/f/m346t-the-finn-family

Harper is the daughter of Richard and Bethany Finn of Altamont. The child's status remained unclear late Tuesday afternoon.

Richard Finn and many others in his family have been active in harness racing for years. His father, Richard D. (Rick) Finn, 64, of Crete, died May 6, 2023, after a short battle with cancer, according to an obituary. The elder Finn became a Standardbred owner in 1983, having owned and/or bred 74 horses throughout his career. A celebration of life was held in Newton, consisting of a picnic followed by a race dedication and memorial blanket presentation at the Jasper County Fairgrounds. An on-track ceremony is scheduled for later this year at Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago.

Richard Finn was scheduled to race on Sunday, but not in the first race during which his daughter was injured, according to Effingham Daily News Sports Editor Alex Wallner, who covered the event.

In that race, a pace car struck Harper with an extended starting gate while passing the grandstand, according to the Effingham County Sheriff's Office.

Harper was transported from the scene by A-I Ambulance of Altamont to the helipad at HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, and then airlifted to St. Louis Children's Hospital by ARCH Air Medical, authorities said.

"We don't have an absolute understanding yet of what happened to cause this," Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns told the Daily News. "Why was this gate extended and why did this happen?"

Kuhns echoed the reaction of many across the area this week.

"What a terrible thing," he said.

The pace car is owned by Michael D. Titus of Charleston, Illinois. On Sunday it was driven by Jerry W. Young, of Jackson, Mississippi, according to the sheriff's office. Neither could be reached for comment.

As required, a second person was in the pace car to operate the gate, said Kuhns, who could not immediately name that person.

A 2022 story about Titus and his wife by radio station WRUL 97.3 said they've been running harness racing starting gates for more than 30 years.

"He does all the fairs in Illinois and he does some in Indiana," Brenda Watson, membership and grassroots coordinator for the Illinois Harness Horseman's Association, told the Daily News. "He has multiple cars."

Watson explained how the pace car operates.

"When all the horses are on the track, they usually go by the grandstand and the announcer," she said. "They will give you the number of each horse, it is owned by so-and-so, trained by so-and-so and driven by so-and-so. Then the horses will turn and get to the back side of the track.

"In the meantime, the starting gate has stopped back there with its wings open and it will slowly start moving and the horses will get in behind the gate in the number order they have drawn. The gate will start on the back side and pick up speed, and when it gets to the start-finish line, it accelerates. And then the wings close and the horses take off while the car moves up ahead of them out of the way."

Authorities are still trying to piece together how the gate could have struck Harper.

"It's unheard of," said Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker. "You would never think anything like that is possible. But, as we know, there's a lot of things that can happen that we certainly don't plan for."

Response

Becker, who also serves on the fair board, was on the fairgrounds Sunday.

"I was going to eat lunch and then watch the horse races," Becker said. "My brother, Kurt (Becker), is the announcer for the horse races. I heard his voice request an ambulance to the grandstand ... So I told my wife I need to go see if I can be of assistance."

Two others from the Altamont Fire Protection District were in the grandstands to watch the races, and they also joined those tending to Harper.

"Things were chaotic," Becker said. "It was instantly apparent that something serious had happened. We had several volunteers step in who were highly trained medical professionals who were there spectating. They provided some really fantastic, instantaneous care.

"There were nurses. We did have a respiratory specialist who assisted. We had a paramedic from another town who came in and identified himself.

"So, we were utilizing everything that we could, as far as professional help, to try and do what we could for this girl. It was a pretty impressive effort."

Becker and others interviewed praised the Finn family and expressed sympathy.

"They're good people," Becker said. "A very successful harness racing family. A lot of the other family members are locals from around here. Good, upstanding folks, very involved in church activities and other things. All around they have a very good reputation locally."

"Richard's very friendly and outgoing," added Watson, the Illinois Harness Horseman's Association official. "He would do whatever he can to help people. And I think that's one reason people are helping him.

"Horse racing is a family," she explained. "We all know each other. We race all the county fairs. These kids have grown up together, going to county fairs. And now they're the second and third generations of horsemen. We're all one big family and if something happens to one of our horsemen, we all rally around and do what we can to help them out.

"Richard is definitely one of those guys who will do that for somebody. And that's why I believe everybody's rallying around Richard and his family."

"In honor and respect for the Finn family, the harness races at the Effingham County Fair have been canceled this week," the fair board announced on Monday. "We ask that everyone please keep the family in your prayers and allow them time to heal."

"Here at the Effingham County Fair, we are working closely with local law enforcement and emergency personnel," the board said in an earlier statement. "This is not taken lightly. Processes and procedures will be reviewed once the investigation is complete."

Effingham Daily News Editor Jeff Long can be reached at jeff.long@effinghamdailynews.com or 217-347-7156. Follow him on Twitter @EDN_editor