The manufacturer of the Fire Ball ride that malfunctioned Wednesday at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus, leaving one man dead and another seven injured, ordered a global shutdown Thursday of all 43 thrill rides like the one in the tragic mishap until it could be determined what caused the seats to detach from a swinging arm and hit the ride's platform.
All rides at the state fair were ordered shut down Wednesday night by Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The Ohio Highway Patrol says Tyler Jarrell, 18, of Columbus, was killed and seven others _ all from the Columbus area _ ranging in age from 14 to 42 suffered varying injuries and were hospitalized. Three of the injured were critically hurt.
Jarrell, who the Marine Corps says had just enlisted last week, was thrown 50 feet from the ride.
Mark Bruce, communications director for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said inspectors are working around the clock to investigate the accident and re-inspect all the rides at the fair before they will reopen to the public.
The department acknowledged that the Fire Ball ride, which features a large arm that swings its seated passengers 40 feet high in the air while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute, had passed its final inspection just hours before the fair's first day Wednesday and the subsequent accident later that same evening. The ride is manufactured by Dutch-based KMG.
"Amusement ride safety inspection is one of the most important duties at the Ohio Department of Agriculture," Bruce said in a statement. "The safety of guests and visitors to Ohio's amusement parks, fairs and rides is the department's top priority."
The department inspects some 4,000 rides annually statewide including at permanent parks like Cedar Point.
