Teen who fell to his death from ride exceeded weight limit, autopsy says – The Washington Post
Tyre Sampson died after falling from the Orlando Free Fall, a ride at ICON Park that drops nearly 400 feet at speeds of more than 75 mph. The teen’s parents have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against ICON Park and the ride’s operator and manufacturer.
Tyre’s parents are seeking a jury trial after their son died after being ejected from a ride at ICON Park.
Forensic engineering firm Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis found that Tyre slipped through a gap in his safety harness because the seat sensor had been manually adjusted.
After the autopsy results were released, the Slingshot Group called the teenager’s death “a tragic accident” and said they were working with the family and lawmakers to make lasting safety changes.
The Florida Department of Agriculture said the ride’s owner, manufacturer and landlord were negligent in failing to provide a safe amusement ride.
The lawsuit said the defendants failed to warn Sampson about the risks of going on the ride and failed to provide an appropriate restraint system.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in March that 34,700 injuries were reported by hospital emergency departments from 2017 to 2019, and 12,400 injuries were reported in 2020.
For more information on this story, consider the following news outlets listed below to stay up to date.
- Teen who fell to his death from ride exceeded weight limit, autopsy says The Washington Post
- Orlando FreeFall autopsy says teen died of blunt force trauma, weighed nearly 100 pounds over ride limit Fox News
- Autopsy results released for teen who fell from ICON Park ride WESH 2 News
- Tyre Sampson autopsy confirms weight surpassed Orlando Free Fall ride’s limits Orlando Sentinel
- Teen who fell to his death at Florida amusement park exceeded ride’s weight limit and died of blunt force trauma, autopsy says CNN