One man was killed while seven other people were injured when a ride malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus on Wednesday.
An 18-year-old man was tossed from the Fire Ball ride and killed on impact, about 50 feet (15 m) from the ride, Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin said.
WCMH reported the accident occurred when a section of open-air seating snapped off the ride. The seats are in a circular configuration and at the end of an arm that lifts riders as they are being spun.
Three people were critically injured while four others are in stable condition, Colonel Paul Pride of the Columbus Highway Patrol said.
READ MORE: Girl hangs from Six Flags amusement park ride before being caught by other park guests
“It’s kind of hard to imagine that you have family that goes to a state fair and those calls come, that there was a terrible accident and a terrible tragedy and somebody you love was involved,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich said.
He shut down the rest of the rides in the park as soon as was made aware of the situation.
“As soon as I got a handle on the whole thing I shut it down,” he said late Wednesday evening while also noting he has ordered a full investigation of the incident,.
The fair, where policing is overseen by the Ohio Highway Patrol, said on Twitter that it is investigating the incident.
A company providing rides at the fair this year describes the Fire Ball as an “aggressive thrill” ride.
On its website, Amusements of America says that since its debut in 2002, the Fire Ball has become “one of the most popular thrill rides on the AOA Midway.” The company description of the ride says it swings riders 40 feet (12 metres) above the midway while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.
The company did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
The Ohio State Fair, which opened Wednesday, runs through August 6.
With file from Reuters and the Associated Press
Comments