Salem police are rallying around one of their sergeants whose daughter died after being thrown from a ride Saturday at the Deerfield Township Harvest Festival.
Hailey Lynn McMullen, 10, was the daughter of Salem Police Sgt. Christopher McMullen. Her mother, Amanda (Pruette) McMullen, is a nurse.
The Deerfield Township Elementary School fifth-grader “is and was the most beautiful little girl inside and out,” reads her obituary.
Born in Vineland, the middle of the three McMullen children had a huge imagination and an even bigger heart, the obituary says.
Hailey looked up to her big brother, Evan, and adored her baby sister, Allison.
Her parents wrote that she would wake up early every morning to spend time with them while they were getting ready for work.
“We called it coffee with chick,” they wrote, referencing one of her many nicknames.
“She never left the room or the house without hugging someone and telling them she loved them. She enjoyed nature, animals and water. She viewed the world as an adventure. She was creative always making videos and art. Her imagination was huge as well as her intelligence. She was sassy and did not accept statements like because I told you so. She wanted to know why and wanted to do the right thing even if it was not the popular thing.”
The Salem Police Officer’s Association has created an account to assist the family with Hailey’s funeral expenses.
Donations may be sent to:
Salem Police Officer Association (SPOA) c/o Hailey
PO Box. 62
Salem NJ 08079-0062
A public visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Maranatha Baptist Church, 1524 Bridgeton-Millville Pike in Millville. Private funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family.
The investigation into what caused the accident is ongoing.
