Michael Vartorella, Ohio's chief inspector of amusement ride safety, said the Fire Ball was inspected three or four times before the fair opened. The accident prompted fairs in California and Canada to shut down the Fire Ball ride.īarry Schaible, an inspector with a company hired by the California State Fair, told KCRA-TV in Sacramento, "We shut down the ride immediately, unloaded it and it's closed right now." Kasich noted the findings could help other fairs and amusement parks. Make no mistake about it, it's a very, very sad night for all of us." John Kasich, who planned to tour the fair Thursday, said after the accident: "Of course we want to get to the bottom of this. None has been involved in a serious malfunction before, the company said in an email to The Associated Press. Forty-three of the rides, also known as the Afterburner, are in use in the U.S. The ride's Dutch manufacturer, KMG, said the one at the Ohio State Fair was built in 1998 in the Netherlands. It says it can swing passengers 40 feet (12 meters) above the ground, while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.Īmusements of America did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. The Fire Ball ride swings 24 riders back and forth like a pendulum while they sit facing each other in four-seat carriages that also spin and are attached to the main arm.Īmusements of America, the company that provides rides to the Ohio State Fair, describes the Fire Ball as an "aggressive thrill ride." On its website, it says the Fire Ball debuted in 2002 and is one of its most popular rides on the midway. Ohio Department of Agriculture records provided Thursday to The Associated Press show passing marks on inspections of about three dozen items including cracks, brakes, proper assembly and installation. Records show that inspections were up to date and a state permit had just been issued for the ride. Officials are investigating what caused the ride to break apart and would not speculate on possible explanations. At least two of the injured were in critical condition Thursday at Ohio State Medical Center. The others injured range in age from 14 to 42. Tyler Jarrell, 18, of Columbus, died on the midway, and was one of several people who were thrown to the ground when the ride malfunctioned. "We have shut down all rides until the state has inspected each and every ride again and deemed them to be safe." "Our hearts are heavy for the families of those involved in last night's tragic accident," fair officials said in a Thursday post on Twitter. Screams are heard as passengers are thrown to the ground. The footage shows one section holding four riders come apart as it begins to swing upward and at least two people tumbling in the air. Video captured by a bystander at the fair Wednesday evening shows the Fire Ball ride swinging above its bottom platform when a crashing sound is heard. COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State Fair opened Thursday but its amusement rides remained closed one day after a man was killed and seven other people were injured when a thrill ride broke apart and flung people into the air.
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