Ohio State Fair accident kills 1, injures 7; Fire Ball, other rides shut down

[WalkerInTN]

Originally Posted by Kerrmudgeon

Do you really want to risk your life on the mechanical skills of these guys?

I'd trust those guys before I'd trust a group of 20 year olds.

[onedef92]

Ohio State Fair midway back in full swing after rides reopen

The Columbus Dispatch
Posted at 12:01 AM Updated at 6:18 AM

The smell of pizza and deep-fried foods wafted through the air and radio hits spanning decades boomed from ride speakers.

Carnival game vendors called out, urging fairgoers to try their luck.

And by lunchtime Sunday, laughter and squealing adrenaline-junkies were slowly filling the midway once again at the Ohio State Fair. The fair reopened the Midway and all 71 of its operable rides Sunday morning, after a deadly malfunction on opening day on the Fire Ball ride killed one person and injured seven others. The Fire Ball remains closed.

Though fair attendance plummeted Thursday and Friday, likely because of the tragedy and rainy weather, attendance actually rebounded Saturday and surpassed last year’s numbers. Last year, 98,976 people attended the fair’s first Saturday. This year, 100,228 did.

Sunday’s numbers weren’t yet available, though the weather was clear and warm.

Still, many attractions had few, if any, riders aboard them a couple hours after they reopened Sunday afternoon.

Operators of the Space Roller ride near the midway entrance danced and waved to guests walking by — and sometimes, like grinning salesmen, they’d motion for fairgoers to come over and hop into the aggressive thrill ride’s mostly empty seats.

Luckily for them, there were plenty of guests who didn’t need much convincing to climb
Attendance down at Ohio State Fair since deadly ride accident

“I’m not scared,” said Karen Marando, 62, of Gahanna, shaking her head.

She hopped off of Space Roller, a ride with six arms that rotate and constantly spin harnessed riders upside down, and headed over to Crazy Mouse, a spinning roller coaster, with her sister and nephew.

Though riders expressed condolences for the victims of Wednesday’s accident — especially 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell, who died — many said the tragedy wouldn’t stop them from enjoying one of central Ohio’s most longstanding family traditions.

“It’s really unfortunate it happened, but accidents do happen,” said Peggy Hurley, 55, of the South Side.

Hurley’s family hasn’t missed a fair in years. She watched her great-niece and granddaughter giggling on the Wave Swinger and never once worried for their safety, she said.

“You don’t shut down the freeway forever after a car accident,” said Hurley’s niece, Bobbie Schmidt, 40, who also lives on the South Side.

On Saturday, three of the seven injured were still hospitalized, one at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center and two at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. The victim at Grant Medical Center’s condition is in “critical but stable” condition, a hospital spokesman said. The conditions of the victims at Wexner Medical Center could not be confirmed Sunday.

Visitation and funeral arrangements for Jarrell were announced Sunday: A visitation is scheduled for 4-8 p.m. Monday at Spence-Miller Funeral Home in Grove City, 2697 Columbus St. The funeral is at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Grove City United Methodist Church, 2685 Columbus St., according to the funeral home’s website.

Following Jarrell’s death Wednesday night, all of the fair’s rides were closed and reinspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, spokesman Mark Bruce said. Some “low-impact” rides, including the Kiddieland rides, the Giant Slide and the Sky Riders, reopened Friday.

The Fire Ball ride, though inoperable and cordoned off, remains on site at the fair because it’s part of an ongoing investigation.

Jessica Walker, 17, of Delaware, who attends the fair nearly every year, said she thought the Midway crowds seemed thinner than usual Sunday afternoon. She was confident, however, they’d pick up later that day.

But while her friend hopped onto the Free Fall ride, a drop-tower that’s several stories tall, she was fine with keeping her feet on the ground.

“I’m still a little nervous, after watching the video of what happened (on Fire Ball),” Walker said. “It’s hard to not think about it when you see the bigger, more intense rides.”

The Ohio State Fair admission gates are open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until Aug. 5 and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 6, its last day.

Admission costs $6 in advance at ohiostatefair.com but varies at the gate. Rides are open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on Friday and Saturday and require separate tickets.

[VatorMan]

Originally Posted by MrPeabody

I would trust them before I would trust the guys at the Ford dealership where I was a service writer.

So you are saying guys that failed the carny test end up at Ford ?

[onedef92]

Manufacturer says 'excessive corrosion' led to the fatal Ohio State Fair incident

Sunday, August 6th 2017, 4:23 pm EDT
Sunday, August 6th 2017, 4:23 pm EDT

(OHIO) WOIO - The manufacturer has determined the cause of the Ohio State Fair incident.

An 18-year-old man was killed and seven people were injured when the swinging and spinning Fire Ball ride broke apart July 26 on the state fair's midway. According to the KMG news release the investigation included a visit to the accident scene in Columbus, the team also reviewed footage of the incident and conducted a metallurgical inspection of the ride.

KMG said an excessive corrosion on the interior of the gondola support beam dangerously reduced the beam's wall thickness over the years. The manufacturer said this led to the failure of the ride during the incident.

KMG said they have reviewed the results of the inspection and worked with industry safety experts to develop an inspection protocol in form of a 'Safety Bulletin' to allow properly inspected and maintained rides to safely reopen.

The ride was 18-years-old.