Excessive corrosion caused a metal arm to break on the Fire Ball ride that malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair, the Netherlands-based ride manufacturer KMG said in a statement, according to a report from WBNS-10 TV in Columbus.
>>Read more Ohio State Fair tragedy: What happened
The incident killed 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell and injured seven others who were on the ride when it broke on the fair’s opening day.
>>Read more Ohio spends $1.17M to inspect amusement rides
According to WBNS, KMG issued a statement Sunday that states excessive corrosion was found on the inside of the gondola arm, dangerously reducing the metal arm’s thickness.
>>Read more Ohio State Fair tragedy could spark changes
A law firm representing the family of the man who died, Tyler Jarrell, 18, of Columbus announced it would “investigate the incident and handle the wrongful death case,” according to a news release from Kitrick, Lewis & Harris of Columbus.
>>Read more Teen killed at Ohio State Fair had just joined U.S. Marines
The Ohio Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.
The Fire Ball ride had been inspected the day of the accident and no problems had been found.
A ride safety advocate is calling for greater transparency in inspection reports on rides that pass through the state of Ohio or are located in amusement parks.
“I think Ohio needs to establish a database of every amusement ride in the state and have that database accessible to the general public,” said Ken Martin, a Virginia-based ride consultant and owner of KRM Consulting.
Spokesmen for Ohio’s legislative leadership say they will wait until investigators determine what happened.
“At this point, we trust that the ongoing professional investigation will bring conclusive findings, and it’s important that we allow that to happen first,” said John Fortney, press secretary for state Sen. Larry Obhof, R-Medina.
“Until more details from the investigation are brought forward, it is too early to speculate on what, if any, future actions should be taken,” said Brad Miller, press secretary for Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville.
About the Author
