Ohio is mourning the loss of a teenager after an accident took place at the State Fair involving one of the rides. The ride that caused the death of the Teen was given the green light hours before the fatal accident took place and more details were revealed regarding the slain teenager. The Ohio State Fair also reopened days after the deadly accident.
The one fatality was identified as 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell. Jarrell had just enlisted with the Marines days before he died and was set to undergo training next summer. Jarrell was one of the individuals who went on the amusement ride called the Fire Ball.
While the ride was being operated, it fell apart and a row of its seats smashed into a metal beam while others were ejected from their seats.
Seven other people were injured. One of them is Jarrell’s girlfriend, Keziah Lewis. She suffered from ankle, pelvis, and rib injuries, The Washington Post reported. Lewis reportedly does not remember the accident and has been asking about her boyfriend.
The ages of those injured ranged from 14 to 42 years old. Two of them were still under critical condition per the latest update.
The Fire Ball swings a total of 24 individuals back and forth. The ride is 40 feet above the ground and spins at 13 revolutions per minute. A total of 43 Fire Ball rides were made.
Eleven of them are in the United States.
Ride received approval hours before Ohio State Fair opened
According to Time, the ride inspectors scrutinized the Fire Ball many times while it was being assembled hours before the Ohio State Fair officially opened. Sources said that the ride investigators did not check the Fire Ball days before the fair opened due to the weather.
The manufacturer of the ride advised the fairs and festivals that has the same attraction should stop operating it until the investigation is completed regarding the cause of the ride falling apart.
The father of Jarrell, said that his son was “loved and had a future” so he wants to know who is responsible for not doing their job regarding the inspection of the rides.
One of the ride inspectors with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Michael Vartorella, said that the Fire Ball was inspected three to four times before it was approved for operation. Vartorella also said that the inspector did not rush when they checked the rides.
Ohio State Fair re-opened
Days after the incident, the Ohio State Fair re-opened and some of their rides have been operative again. Twenty eight of the rides were cleared to resume operation as of Friday, which are mostly for kids or low-impact rides.
