Tragedy at Ohio state fair, 1 dead, 5 critical on fire ball ride, 26 July 2017

[osu]

Recovering from Ohio State Fair accident, teen learns boyfriend died

After she was thrown from the Fire Ball amusement park ride at the Ohio State Fair and taken to the hospital, Keziah Lewis had one question for her mom.

“She kept asking for her boyfriend,” Clarrisa Williams said. “I had to tell her he was the one who was deceased.”

Lewis’ 18-year-old boyfriend of a year, Tyler Jarrell of Columbus, died and seven others were injured when the ride broke apart just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was thrown high into the air and landed on the ground about 50 feet from the ride. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The other injured riders were transported to local hospitals, including Lewis, who had just completed her sophomore year at the University of Cincinnati, where her mother said she was a creative writing and journalism major. Jarrell had just enlisted in the Marine Corps.

During a phone interview this morning, Williams said her 19-year-old daughter remembers nothing from the incident; Williams said her daughter “fell from the car.” She said her daughter is suffering from pelvis, ankle and rib injuries and was operated on last night and this morning. She faces another surgery Friday at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

~snip

More at link: http://www.dispatch.com/news/201707...tate-fair-accident-teen-learns-boyfriend-died

 

[osu]

Fire Ball rides around the country were shut down Thursday after the same ride broke apart at the Ohio State Fair, killing one person and injuring seven others.

North American Midway Entertainment, which operates rides at the Indiana State Fair and many other amusement parks, said it would close its Fire Ball rides “until further notice from the manufacturer for precautionary safety measures.”

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170727/fire-ball-rides-shut-down-after-ohio-state-fair-tragedy

 

[AmyPond]

The 911 calls here are so frustrating. http://www.dispatch.com/news/201707...tate-fair-accident-teen-learns-boyfriend-died

I hope other people who knew more called in as well. Because this lady obviously didn't know how serious the accident was. Minutes can make a difference in situations like this.

 

[osu]

Ohio State Fair Ride That Malfunctioned Had Service Bulletin For Structural Fatigue Cracking



http://www.columbusnavigator.com/ohio-state-fair-ride-malfunction/

 

[JanetElaine]

Ohio State Fair Ride That Malfunctioned Had Service Bulletin For Structural Fatigue Cracking

http://www.columbusnavigator.com/ohio-state-fair-ride-malfunction/

Interesting. Hopefully we'll hear if this particular ride was fixed, if it's that old. And not a word on KMG's website, in Dutch or English.

ETA - KMG did 'call on' (it doesn't say how) Afterburner operators to not use the ride: http://nltimes.nl/2017/07/27/dutch-...stop-afterburner-attraction-fatal-accident-us

A spokesperson of the company that operates one of the two Dutch Afterburners blamed the accident on the ride being handled 'unprofessionally' (from above link):

"[FONT=&quot]The other Afterburner in the Netherlands is operated by Projek 1. According to a spokesperson, their machine is in tip-top shape. "In America they must've handled it unprofessionally, there's no other way", the spokesperson said. Their Afterburner was in for a checkup at KMG only yesterday. This Afterburner will be on a fair next week, though the spokesperson would not tell AD which one."[/FONT]

 

[JanetElaine]

Another article says manufacturer KMG did the maintenance on the Ohio Afterburner/Fire Ball ride up until a couple of years ago: http://nltimes.nl/2017/07/27/accident-dutch-carnival-attraction-kills-one-injures-7-us

"[FONT=&amp]"On the Afterburner in Ohio we did the maintenance unntil [sic] a few years ago", Kroon said. He doesn't know who took over the maintenance and how it was done. The Fireball was built in 1998. "19 years is old for an attraction, but there are older fairground attractions.""[/FONT]

 

[Betty P]

Interesting. Hopefully we'll hear if this particular ride was fixed, if it's that old. And not a word on KMG's website, in Dutch or English.

ETA - KMG did 'call on' (it doesn't say how) Afterburner operators to not use the ride: http://nltimes.nl/2017/07/27/dutch-...stop-afterburner-attraction-fatal-accident-us

A spokesperson of the company that operates one of the two Dutch Afterburners blamed the accident on the ride being handled 'unprofessionally' (from above link):

"[FONT="]The other Afterburner in the Netherlands is operated by Projek 1. According to a spokesperson, their machine is in tip-top shape. "In America they must've handled it unprofessionally, there's no other way", the spokesperson said. Their Afterburner was in for a checkup at KMG only yesterday. This Afterburner will be on a fair next week, though the spokesperson would not tell AD which one."[/FONT]

Sounds like someone was cutting corners, dodging personal responsibility. It says the rides need to be inspected by a certified NDT company using special equipment. Perhaps that wasn't done.

I dunno, but if one ride at the fair was poorly maintained and inspected, the same likely applies for all of them.

 

[Betty P]

Ohio State Fair ride passed multiple inspections before deadly incident

[video=cnn;us/2017/07/27/ohio-state-fair-ride-accident-orig-vstop-fsc-orig.cnn]http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/us/ohio-state-fair-ride-disaster/index.html[/video]

The big question is: what kind of inspections did they do? Detailed with special tools, etc. or just visual inspections "Yup, that looks ok". It's no secret the state government has been trying to help boost the profits of the amusement ride companies by continuing to lower standards for inspections and qualifications for licensed, trained inspectors. Innocent victims and taxpayers get to pay the price.

Kasich has the gall to say nothing could have prevented this accident. Really? Does he expect us to think it was an act of God or something? It's sad they try to blame it on the machinery and the victims (it's an "aggressive" thrill ride) implying they're dead or injured because they took a risk.

Kasich and the head of the Dept of Ag should resign.

Another article quoting girls waiting to get on the ride. They said people started falling off the ride. The operator of the ride hit the "emergency stop" button, and things got worse.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2017/07/the_ohio_state_fair_fire_ball.html

Britney Neal described seeing people falling out of the ride.

"I was right next in line so I saw the buttons that the guy was hitting," she said. "And he hit the emergency stop button and as soon as he hit that the whole cart started flying off because the force was so big from the big ride."

Twelve children every day are treated for injuries from amusement park rides

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/07/fireball_ohio_state_fair_other.html

 

[Betty P]

Good article from Time Magazine last week about the growing number of carnival ride accidents

http://time.com/4775387/amusement-parks-child-safety-accidents-thrill-rides/

Working conditions for ride operators, particularly in carnivals and traveling fairs, could be a contributing factor to danger. Employees on temporary worker visas at some U.S. carnivals and fairs had to work long hours on hot summer days and endure appalling living conditions, according to a 2013 report co-written by the American University Washington College of Law's Immigrant Justice Clinic and the Centro de los Derechos del Migrante.

The report suggested that a lack of training and safety equipment could lead to horrific accidents. "According to industry statistics, most amusement park accidents are attributed to rider and operator errors, the latter frequently arising out of long working hours, inadequate training, and lack of proper equipment," it says.

 

[gregjrichards]

Ohio State Fair ride passed multiple inspections before deadly incident

[video=cnn;us/2017/07/27/ohio-state-fair-ride-accident-orig-vstop-fsc-orig.cnn]http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/us/ohio-state-fair-ride-disaster/index.html[/video]

The big question is: what kind of inspections did they do? Detailed with special tools, etc. or just visual inspections "Yup, that looks ok". It's no secret the state government has been trying to help boost the profits of the amusement ride companies by continuing to lower standards for inspections and qualifications for licensed, trained inspectors. Innocent victims and taxpayers get to pay the price.

Kasich has the gall to say nothing could have prevented this accident. Really? Does he expect us to think it was an act of God or something? It's sad they try to blame it on the machinery and the victims (it's an "aggressive" thrill ride) implying they're dead or injured because they took a risk.

Kasich and the head of the Dept of Ag should resign.

Another article quoting girls waiting to get on the ride. They said people started falling off the ride. The operator of the ride hit the "emergency stop" button, and things got worse.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2017/07/the_ohio_state_fair_fire_ball.html




Twelve children every day are treated for injuries from amusement park rides

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/07/fireball_ohio_state_fair_other.html

It's outrageous Kasich is claiming that nothing could have prevented this tragedy before a thorough investigation has been completed.

 

[NadirCake]

I think it is disgraceful the fair is reopening today could they not have closed it for one day as a mark of respect? It will be interesting to see if charges will be filed in the coming days. It is horrendous the tragedy has been filmed I was really hesitant to post it but did so because it helps understand what went wrong. At least it could be used at evidence in court should charges be filed or negligence claims for the person who died and those seriously injured. It's a miracle that several people weren't killed.

RBBM

I'm glad it was captured on video, and I'll bet that investigators are as well.

As for whether it should have been shared by media... That's debatable. It certainly helps us visualize and understand what happened, which is in the public interest, I guess. But at the same time, gawking at tragedy is outside the realm of good taste.

 

[osu]

Eyewitness accounts.

~snip
A young woman who was on the amusement ride detailed what happened just before the crash in an interview on Wednesday.

'It started normal, everything started normal, and then it started shaking. It was shaking real bad,' Devray Williams told ABC 6 on Wednesday.

She said that the girl next to her also started to say her seat was shaking just moments before Devray watched the woman go flying off into the air when the machine snapped.

An emotional Devray then said through tears: 'And then the dude hit the ground. He wasn't breathing. None of them was, it was like five people. Nobody was breathing and then they came and tried to give him CPR but nothing was happening.'

~snip

Meanwhile, the young boy who filmed the fatal ride malfunction that occurred at the fair revealed that bystanders began screaming at the operator to slow down just moments before the crash.

Julian Bellinger was filming The Fireball as he stood in line with his friends to get on the ride when it suddenly broke, killing one person and injuring seven others.
He recounted what happened in an interview with Good Morning America, saying: 'We were just recording each other on Snapchat and we had deleted the video because we heard like commotion on the ride and there was people on the ride like, "Slow it down, it's too fast," and all this. So people on the ground beside me and in front of me in line... they all were like, "whoa, whoa, slow down."'

Julian said at that moment the operator 'pressed the emergency brake,' with the teenager stating that he had to turn his head away when he started to see people fall out of their harnesses and seats on the ride.'

Host Robin Roberts confirmed that Julian did in fact hear people shouting out to the operator to slow down the ride, and the boy against said that was what happened, adding: 'I heard people in front of me in line and then after the fact I talked to them and they were like, "yeah, people on the ride just couldn't take it anymore because I guess they had sped it up.'
He then said that in the wake of the crash people were running away and 'crying.'

Britney Neal and her little sister Kylie also witnessed the crash at the fairground on Wednesday, and told a story very similar to Julian's while appearing on Today.

'Well, the ride was going normal, then all of a sudden you see people flying out and then the guy hit the emergency stop button which then made the seat fly off and other people flew off as well,' said Britney.

'The fireball was working normally. Then it swung to the left and it looked like someone's chair was kind of falling out. Then the guy pushed the emergency stop switch, and then it swings to the right and the whole row broke off and they went flying.'

~snip
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Jarrell-killed-Ohio-State-Fair-Fireball.html

 

[osu]

Victim injured on Ohio State Fair ride speaks out

Hussein and Salle said they didn’t start fearing for their lives until they noticed they were getting closer and closer to the ground with each swing of the ride.

“I’m sitting there scared, trying to get off and it’s still swinging,” said Hussein. “I’m looking at the dude like, ‘Are you going to stop this?’ And he didn’t know what he was doing, just clicking the button, afterwards he just ran.”

Hussein said debris flying off the ride hit half of his body, barely missing Sallee who was sitting right next to him.

“It went high all the way up in the sky and then came back and when it was coming back it was too close to the ground and then it did it again one more time and that’s when it just hit the ground and then it just flew off and the pieces it hit me, too,” said Hussein, who was listed as one of the eight injured on the ride.

He said it felt like he was about to die.

~snip

http://nbc4i.com/2017/07/27/victim-injured-on-ohio-state-fair-ride-speaks-out/

 

[Akweks]

This article mentions a 14-year-old being treated and released from the hospital. http://nbc4i.com/2017/07/27/several-victims-of-ohio-state-fair-ride-accident-remain-hospitalized/
I've watched every video because I'm curious about what exactly happened. I hope we get a good explanation from the inspectors.
When I saw the man and his leg I couldn't figure out how he was seated and finally realized what had happened to his leg. He didn't die it was the person that got thrown the farthest in the air. How horrible.
I will not be watching.granddaughter go on county fair rides this year, that's for sure. One year I was standing by one of the rides and a bolt fell off,of it. The operator picked it up but didn't put it back on the ride.i think it was a certain car and he didnt use that one afterwards though.
State and county fairs aren't just about rides though. There are people who have worked on various projects, including market animals, all year.

 

[Spellbound]

This article mentions a 14-year-old being treated and released from the hospital. http://nbc4i.com/2017/07/27/several-victims-of-ohio-state-fair-ride-accident-remain-hospitalized/
I've watched every video because I'm curious about what exactly happened. I hope we get a good explanation from the inspectors.
When I saw the man and his leg I couldn't figure out how he was seated and finally realized what had happened to his leg. He didn't die it was the person that got thrown the farthest in the air. How horrible.
I will not be watching.granddaughter go on county fair rides this year, that's for sure. One year I was standing by one of the rides and a bolt fell off,of it. The operator picked it up but didn't put it back on the ride.i think it was a certain car and he didnt use that one afterwards though.
State and county fairs aren't just about rides though. There are people who have worked on various projects, including market animals, all year.

Same here, Akweks. I watched the videos over and over trying to figure out where it went wrong. of course, I do not have eyes trained to decipher fuzzy videos, so it was sort of pointless for me.

We go to many county fairs, but never on the rides. All the exhibits and animals and just to stroll about is a nice day for us.

 

[AmyPond]

I found that one article interesting where the people on the actual ride (one was injured) said they noticed the ride was getting closer and closer to the ground until it ended up hitting/breaking.

At first I thought maybe that row of seats just came loose and broke off but now it sounds like perhaps the main arm or whatever was broken and that's why the ride was getting lower and lower.

 

[Betty P]

Victim injured on Ohio State Fair ride speaks out

Hussein and Salle said they didn’t start fearing for their lives until

they noticed they were getting closer and closer to the ground with each swing of the ride.

“I’m sitting there scared, trying to get off and it’s still swinging,” said Hussein. “I’m looking at the dude like, ‘Are you going to stop this?’ And he didn’t know what he was doing, just clicking the button, afterwards he just ran.”

Hussein said debris flying off the ride hit half of his body, barely missing Sallee who was sitting right next to him.

“It went high all the way up in the sky and then came back and when it was coming back it was too close to the ground and then it did it again one more time and that’s when it just hit the ground and then it just flew off and the pieces it hit me, too,” said Hussein, who was listed as one of the eight injured on the ride.

He said it felt like he was about to die.

~snip

http://nbc4i.com/2017/07/27/victim-injured-on-ohio-state-fair-ride-speaks-out/

BBM

Not an expert by any means, but this description seems relevant. After watching the video a few times it seemed the car/bench didn't suddenly break off or detach from the ride. There just wasn't enough room for it to clear the barrier on the ground around the ride on the last swing down. I wondered why it was hanging down so low. From what this person is saying, it was gradually bending down or sinking as it moved.

In the old days, the federal government oversaw investigation of these accidents, but that probably won't happen here. It will all be swept under the rug and a vague report issued a year later. Sad. We can't have nice things anymore.

 

[NewMama]

I found that one article interesting where the people on the actual ride (one was injured) said they noticed the ride was getting closer and closer to the ground until it ended up hitting/breaking.

At first I thought maybe that row of seats just came loose and broke off but now it sounds like perhaps the main arm or whatever was broken and that's why the ride was getting lower and lower.

I also wondered if the ride hit the ground before breaking apart after watching the video.

 

[Betty P]

Information about the Ohio State Fair

https://ohiostatefair.com/commissioners/

The Ohio Expositions Commission was established in 1961 when the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation creating a new governing body for the Ohio Expo Center. Prior to 1961, the State Board of Agriculture oversaw the Center. The Commission maintains and manages state property reserved for the purpose of conducting at least one Fair annually.

The Commission comprises 14 members, (nine of whom are appointed by the Governor), plus five ex-officio members: the Agricultural Chair of the Ohio Senate, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Chair of the Ohio House of Representatives, the Director of Development, the Director of Agriculture and the Director of Natural Resources.

Of the nine Commission members appointed by the Governor, no more than five may be from any one political party. Expiration of appointed terms is staggered to ensure the continuity of the Commission at all times.

2017 members:

Tamara Brown, Ohio Development Services Agency designee, Columbus
Tom Charles, Buckeye Lake
David T. Daniels, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Hillsboro
Andrew Doehrel, Vice Chair, Galena
Rep. Brian Hill, House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee Chair, Zanesville
Sen. Cliff Hite, Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chair, Findlay
Angela Krile, Lancaster
David Madison, Bexley
Tom Price, Delaware
Steve Reinhard, Chair, Bucyrus
Gregory Simpson, Milford
James Zehringer, Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Columbus
Virgil Strickler, General Manager, Lakeview

Strickler is the General Manager

https://ohiostatefair.com/strickler-in-hall-of-fame/

The Ohio State Fair is funded with taxpayer dollars.

 

[Betty P]

Rides at Ohio State Fair Remain Closed Friday Morning - Cleveland.com

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2017/07/rides_at_ohio_state_fair_remai.html#incart_m-rpt-1