A shocking tragedy at the Ohio State Fair is leading to changes at carnivals and fairs across the country.
CHICAGO (CBS) — A shocking tragedy at the Ohio State Fair is leading to changes at carnivals and fairs across the country, after one man was killed and seven people were injured when they were thrown from a ride.
An 18-year-old man died after he was thrown into the air and landed about 50 feet away from the swinging and spinning amusement park ride called the Fire Ball. The ride malfunctioned and broke apart on the opening day of the fair in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Seven other people on the ride were injured. Five were taken to the hospital in critical condition, and two victims’ conditions were described only as “stable.”
“This was of great force, and of great mechanism, really consistent with a very high-speed motor vehicle crash with an ejection; something more along those lines, ” said Dr. David C. Evans, trauma medical director at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Cell phone video of the incident shows the moment the ride malfunctioned. It appeared part of the ride snapped off and fell to the ground as the ride began to swing upward. Some riders plunged to the ground, while others were flung high in the air.
One witness described what she heard.
“I heard a girl scream ‘Help!’ and I look over and I see some fly off, and then I see some slap to the ground, ” Jennifer Body said.
The fair reopened Thursday, but rides won’ t be running until they have been inspected again.
Inspectors from the Ohio Department of Agriculture said the Fire Ball had been examined by the state three or four times before the fair, and once more by a third party. Investigators were trying to determine what was missed.
“We do not rush inspections. Our inspections take place, and as amusement rides come in, they are checked several times while they’ re being put up, ” Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David Daniels said.
Rides similar to the Fire Ball were being shut down at other fairs, amusement parks, and other events across the country in the wake of the accident in Ohio.
The amusement companies that operate the rides at the DuPage County Fair and Prairie Fest in Wood Dale both have a ride similar to the Fire Ball, called the Freak Out. It’s unclear whether those rides will be operational this weekend.
