DA to Decide Whether to Prosecute Operator of Terminal Velocity Ride That Left Girl Paralyzed

[RamboLiberal]

Prosecutors are expected to receive a police report today on an amusement park thrill ride that went terribly wrong and left a 12-year-old girl unable to breathe on her own and able to communicate only by blinking her eyes.

The probe by the Lake Delton police in Wisconsin is meant to detemine whether there was a mechanical malfunction or whether operator error caused Teagan Marti to plummet 100 feet to the ground on the Extreme World's Terminal Velocity ride.

The Sauk County district attorney will decide if charges will be filed. The names of the ride operators have not been released, and it's not clear whether the police report will be made public.

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When the ride is operating properly, passengers are taken up to 140 feet in a metal cage. The floor opens up and the rider is lowered through the floor in a harness, then suddenly released for a thrilling free fall.

Marti's father, however, saw her plummet to the ground, but the safety net designed to catch riders was not raised. Instead, she landed on the ground, where the net had remained in error.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-teen-critical-condition-100-foot-fall-terminal/story?id=11326023



What a damn shame!

[qb]

1. Criminal charges for the minimum wage operator... ok, but what about the employer?

The buck has to stop a little higher up.

[RamboLiberal]

2. Or the ride designer who didn't put in fail safe device

But good luck on that since apparently the ride is from Germany.

[slampoet]

4. +1 ......any ride that CAN have human error is badly designed

[NoNothing]

3. What did the employer do that was a crime?

Generally speaking, you have to commit a crime to be charged criminally.

[Evasporque]

5. Possibly did to further sink the failing buisness...

or retribution for the soon losing his job of multiple years.

Extreme World is about to be auctioned off by the Sheriff after the season.

I suspect they will be looking for bounced paychecks...

If he was drunk...criminal negligence could be charged.

[qb]

6. Criminal negligence.

They failed to properly train or supervise the employees.

[NoNothing]

7. Do we know that?

You can't use res ipsa to prove elements of a crime.

[RamboLiberal]

8. Interesting comment who says they were there

Live Ryder, I was there with my family and witnessed this horrible event. What happened was this: the ground crew that control the lifting cage stopped when the net began to rise because they thought the inflatables needed more air. They actually had to lower it a few feet so they could reach it. There do not use walkie talkies and only communicate with hand gestures. It is obvious that the operator at the top thought that when the cage stopped, they were at 140 feet. He was supposed to get a hand gesture from the crew on the bottom before releasing for the drop. He obviously did not. I watched the ground crew filling up the tubes and then “boom”. Your comments are the the most intelligent I have read thus far regarding the liability of this incident. I agree, there are many facets to this tragedy who are ultimately responsible -not just one man. How about a big inflatable under the net “just in case” or a bright red mark painted on the frame so they know they’re at 140 or the use of technology, such as, walkie talkies. If the operator can’t see well enough at such high distances to distinguish between 100 & 140 feet or the safety net being up high enough versus being on the ground….then how can they rely on a few hand gestures to communicate? Unimaginable. I was really glad to read your comments. I now know that at least someone is seeing the bigger picture here.

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/blog/where-were-all-the-safety-nets-at-amusement-park-04608.html