As It Happens

Halloween decoration prompts 911 call from neighbour who thought 'dead body' was real

This year, Tennessee man Joey Lovergine got extra creative with his Halloween decorations. But he found out his decorative driveway scene was a bit too convincing after his neighbour called the police.
Joey Lovergine realized his Halloween decorations were a bit too convincing after a neighbour called the police to report a dead body in his driveway. (Joey Lovergine)

Story transcript

This year, Joey Lovergine decided to get extra creative with his front yard Halloween decorations — but the Tennessee man was the one to get a scare when the police showed up at his door. 

It all started as a prank to scare his wife, Lovergine told As It Happens host Carol Off. 

"I took some old clothes I have and some old boots, and I stuffed everything with paper to make it look real, and then I tucked it under the garage door so it looked like the head had been cut off," he said.

"And then I made some fake blood and put it up on the garage door." 

But apparently one of Lovergine's neighbours found the "dead body" a bit too convincing, and dialled 911.
A neighbour called 911 when he saw what appeared to be a dead body in Joey Lovergine's driveway. (Joey Lovergine)
 

"I was asleep. And someone started pounding on the door, so I jumped up and threw some clothes on and opened the door to a police officer," he said.

Behind the officer were three police cars and two ambulances. But luckily for Lovergine, it didn't take them long to figure out it was a false alarm. 

"By the time I got outside they were already laughing, and they had pulled the boot off of him to make sure there wasn't a person in there," Lovergine said.

Lovergine, a Halloween aficionado and a lover of horror movies, gets a kick out of going all out on his decorations each October. But with Halloween still more than a month away, he acknowledged his enthusiasm may have got the better of him. 

"I do like decorating early," he said. "I've got more to do yet this year. I've got some body bags to put up and a few other things to put around." 

As for his wife, Lovergine said his prank didn't even work. 

"It backfired. I watched out the window. She had looked at it, and walked in and said, 'you haven't worn that shirt in years.'" 

For more on this story, listen to the full interview with Joey Lovergine.