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Parents of boy killed in fall from ride win $310M verdict

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:10:39 +0000

An amusement park ride from which Tyre Sampson, 14, fell to his death on March 24, 2022 (KTVI).

A jury awarded a $310 million verdict to the parents of a 14-year-old boy killed in a fall from a Florida amusement park ride.

An Orange County jury ordered manufacturer Funtime to pay $155 million each to Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, the parents of Tyre Sampson. He died on March 24, 2022, after falling some 100 feet from the Free Fall attraction at Icon Park in Orlando.

“The jury’s decision confirms what we have long argued: Tyre’s death was the result of blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits,” the family’s lawyers, Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, said in a statement. “The ride’s manufacturers neglected their duty to protect passengers, and (Thursday’s) outcome ensures they face the consequences.”

Dodd and Sampson sued the park in 2022 and the manufacturer of the ride, blaming both for the death.

Dodd and Sampson named the park and the businesses behind the Free Fall ride, including owner and operator Extreme Amusement Rides and manufacturer Funtime Handels, an Austrian company, as defendants in the lawsuit.

A report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) says that Tyre appeared to have slipped from his seat as the ride descended, although the harness attached to the seat was still in place. The report determined that a harness sensor in Tyre’s seat was “manually loosened, adjusted, and tightened to allow a restraint opening of near 7 inches.”

According to the report, the average seat opening for the ride was 3.33 inches.

“The cause of the subject accident was that Tyre Sampson was not properly secured in the seat primarily due to mis-adjustment of the harness proximity sensor,” the report concluded. “The mis-adjustment of the sensor allowed both safety lights to illuminate, improperly satisfying the ride’s electronic safety mechanisms and allowing the ride to commence even though the ride was unsafe.”

“We are deeply troubled that the preliminary findings of the State’s investigation, released today, indicate a sensor on the Orlando FreeFall attraction, which is owned and operated by the SlingShot Group, had been mis-adjusted after the sensor was originally secured in place,” Icon Park said in a statement following the release of the FDCAS report. “Icon Park is committed to providing a safe, fun experience for families. We will continue to support the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services with their ongoing investigation.”

Dodd and Sampson’s complaint says the ride did not warn riders about height and weight restrictions.

“Tyre stood at approximately 6’2 and weighed approximately 380 pounds,” the complaint says. “No weight or height restrictions were posted at the ticket counter and no Icon or Slingshot Defendant employees, agents, apparent agents, servants, or contractors advised Tyre about any weight or height restrictions.”

The complaint lists more than 50 ways it alleges Icon Park was negligent, including failing to train its employees to operate the ride safely. The park also failed to take reasonable steps to ensure riders were secure in their seats, didn’t warn potential riders about height and weight restrictions, and didn’t fire rider operators who didn’t follow procedures for keeping riders safe.

As to the Austrian company that made the ride, the complaint says that a “reasonable manufacturer, constructor, distributor, designer, and supplier” would have provided more visible warnings as to height and weight restrictions, installed a secondary safety system other than the harnesses, made sure the ride wouldn’t operate if all the riders weren’t properly secured, and added other measures including a monitoring system and a mechanism to stop the ride if a rider wasn’t secure.

“The Free Fall ride was dangerous to an extreme beyond that which would be contemplated by the ordinary user with the ordinary knowledge common to the community as to the Free Fall’s characteristics,” the complaint said.

“The defendants in Tyre’s case showed negligence in a multitude of ways,” attorney Ben Crump said in a statement posted to his law firm’s website. “One of the most glaring examples was failing to provide a $22 seatbelt on a ride that cost several million dollars to construct. From the ride and seat manufacturers and the installer to the owners and operators, the defendants had more than enough chances to enact safeguards, such as seatbelts, that could have prevented Tyre’s death. They didn’t, and their poor decisions resulted in deadly consequences for a promising young man and lifelong pain for his family. We will hold these defendants accountable for their failures so that a tragedy like this never has to happen again.”

Tyre, an honor roll student and football player, lived with his mother in Missouri. He had gone to Florida for spring break with a friend’s family, Dodd said on a GoFundMe page. He had just left for the trip the day before he died.

“Despite his prowess on the football field, he was known as a kind-hearted person who cared about others,” the complaint says. “Tyre had a long and prosperous life in front of him that was cut short by this tragic event.”

Dodd and Sampson sought damages under the state’s wrongful death statute, including loss of Tyre’s earnings, medical care and funeral costs, and mental pain and suffering.

Law&Crime’s Marisa Sarnoff contributed to this report.

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BLM announces fall color ride on Bizz Johnson Trail

homesafetytechpros — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:53:05 +0000

SUSANVILLE, Calif. — Opportunities to enjoy peaking fall colors along the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail, await hikers and bike riders, as the Bureau of Land Management and Lassen Rural Bus offer their annual fall colors bike ride and shuttle, Saturday, Oct. 26. The BLM will shuttle bikes and the bus will carry riders from Susanville to ride starting points on the trail.

Participants should meet at 8:15 a.m. at the historic Susanville Depot, 601 Richmond Road. The bus and shuttle depart promptly at 8:30 a.m. There are small separate fees for the bus and bike shuttles. Exact change is encouraged.

The bus and bike shuttle will stop at Devil’s Corral Trailhead, Fredonyer Summit and near Westwood, where participants can ride seven, 18 or 25 miles back to Susanville.

Participants should dress in layers for changing weather conditions. Forecasts show morning temperatures at or near freezing, with midday temperatures climbing to the 60s.

The bike ride is ideal for families. The Bizz Johnson Trail route is mostly downhill or flat on a smooth gravel surface. The BLM recommends wide-tired or hybrid bikes.

To reserve space on the bus and shuttle space for bikes, contact the BLM in Susanville at 530-257-0456.

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Man attacks college student after she gave him ride: Cops

homesafetytechpros — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:28:49 +0000

Darrell Scott Brooks (Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)

A good Samaritan interrupted the attempted sexual assault of a South Carolina college student by a convicted sex offender recently released from prison, authorities said.

Darrell Scott Brooks, 57, is facing a litany of charges including kidnapping, grand larceny and assault with the intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies say Brooks asked the Clemson University student for a ride at an off-campus apartment complex late Tuesday, telling her he worked at the school and his car had “broken down.”

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As she drove the man toward campus, Brooks allegedly forced her to pull into a church parking lot where he attacked her with a “folding razor blade knife” before pinning her down. A good Samaritan happened to be driving by and heard the woman yelling for help. The woman was able to escape with the help of the good Samarian. Brooks then allegedly stole the woman’s vehicle and took off.

Deputies from the neighboring Oconee County Sheriff’s Office saw Brooks crash in the Seneca area after fleeing from them when they tried to conduct a traffic stop, authorities said. They then took him to the Oconee County Detention Center. Clemson University officials are in contact with the student to make sure she has the resources she needs during the recovery process.

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BLM announces fall color ride on Bizz Johnson Trail

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 20:25:48 +0000

SUSANVILLE, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management and Lassen Rural Bus are inviting the public to enjoy peaking fall colors along the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail during the annual fall colors bike ride and shuttle on Saturday, Oct. 21. The BLM will shuttle bikes and the bus will carry riders from Susanville to ride starting points on the trail.

The bus and bike shuttle will stop at Devil’s Corral Trailhead, Fredonyer Summit and near Westwood, where participants can ride or walk seven, 18 or 25 miles back to Susanville.

Participants should dress in layers for changing weather conditions. Forecasts show morning temperatures at or near freezing, with midday temperatures climbing to the low to mid-60s.

The bike ride is ideal for families. The Bizz Johnson Trail route is mostly downhill or flat on a smooth gravel surface. The BLM recommends wide-tired or hybrid bikes.

To reserve space on the bus and shuttle space for bikes, contact the BLM in Susanville at 530-257-0456.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

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