Ohio Amusement Park Ride Operator Won’t Be Fined for Fatal Fair Accident

Officials say the Ohio state agriculture department has decided not to fine the operators of a thrill ride that broke apart at the Ohio State Fair, killing one.

The Dayton Daily News reports that an investigative summary released Friday says the Ohio Department of Agriculture will not fine Amusements of America even though the company failed to report the accident without 24 hours as required by law.

The summary says the group, however, did notify the state immediately.

A four-passenger carriage on the swinging and spinning ride called the Fire Ball broke apart July 26 and flung one of the ride’s carriages into the air. Eighteen-year-old high school student Tyler Jarrell died.

Dutch manufacturer KMG says excessive corrosion within a support beam wore away the steel wall’s thickness over the years, causing the catastrophic failure of the swinging and spinning Fire Ball ride.

Corrosion experts say the company’s account points to water or wet debris being trapped within the hollow support arm, likely while it was being transported or stored during the winter.

The ride’s operator, Amusements of America, submitted paperwork to the Ohio State Fair showing it completed ultrasonic testing of the ride’s 24 gondola arm pins last October. But it’s not clear whether the tests examined the area where the carriage broke on July 26.

John Seewer of the Associated Press contributed to this article.