Investigators have determined “excessive corrosion” caused a ride malfunction that killed a man and injured seven other people last month at the Ohio State Fair.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Investigators have determined excessive corrosion caused a ride malfunction that killed a man and injured seven other people last month at the Ohio State Fair.
Investigators for KMG, the Dutch company that manufactures the Fireball thrill ride that broke apart July 26 in Columbus, determined corrosion dangerously reduced the thickness of the ride’s interior support beam. The ride was 18 years old, the company said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
Tyler Jarrell, an 18-year-old student at Franklin Heights High School, was killed when one of the ride’s seat cars became detached from the ride. Seven other people were injured.
KMG investigators inspected the ride during a visit to the Ohio State Fair. They also reviewed video of the deadly malfunction.
The company is instituting new safety protocols for inspecting and maintaining rides, KMG product manager Albert Kroon said in the statement.
Ohio State Fair organizers shuttered rides after the deadly malfunction. The rides reopened days later after they were re-inspected.
Jarrell’s family has hired a civil attorney to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit, according to the Associated Press .
