STANFORD, Ky. (WKYT) - An 8-year-old boy is recovering after nearly losing his leg in a weekend hayride accident.

It happened on Sunday afternoon at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds. Jalen Smith's family tells us they were attending a church picnic when a group of people hopped on a wagon for a hayride. The fun came to a halt when something went terribly wrong.

"The first call we had received was that a hayride turned over and there were multiple children involved," said Ashley Powell, Director of Stanford EMS. "Upon our crews arrival, we realized that it actually didn't turn over, it had collided with a fence post at a gate."

Powell tells WKYT he believes Jalen became trapped between the wagon and the fence, severely injuring his leg.

Jalen's mother, Jaclyn Smith, tells us this is devastating injury for a little boy who loves to play sports. She says he's rarely ever seen without a uniform or a ball.

Jalen was flown to UK hospital, where he went into surgery immediately. He is scheduled to have another procedure on Tuesday.

His parents say he's been responsive and they're just trying to help him through the pain he's in.

Jalen's parents say they're grateful to some people at the picnic who had medical training and helped stop the blood before paramedics arrived.