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One dead, Seven injured after Ride collapsed at Ohio State Fair
One person died on Wednesday at the Ohio State fair after a 40-foot ride, known as The Fireball malfunctioned, and parts of the structure, including a full row of seats, split up and fell, CNN reports.
An eyewitness, Kaylei Bellomy, who was moments away from getting on the ride said: “Everybody was running. I got ran over trying to get out of the way. I just don’t think I’ll ever ride a ride ever again.”
Another woman Rhonda Burgess said her son was also waiting to get in.
“The ride had four riders per cart. This piece snapped off and the riders came out of the cart,” she said. “At least two (people) flew through the air at least 20 feet before landing on their backs on the concrete.”
The accident left Tyler Jarrell, an 18-year-old from Columbus dead, and seven others between the ages of 12 and 14 injured. Two are in critical condition and two others in serious condition.
According to Michael Vartorella, Chief Ride inspection for Ohio’s Division of Amusement Ride Safety, “(The ride had) been looked at about three or four times over the course of two days. It was inspected at a couple of different stages and it was signed off” on Wednesday.
Watch below:
