GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Police said one of three people who fell from a Ferris wheel during a county fair in Tennessee suffered a head injury and remains hospitalized in serious condition. Baileyton police Officer Kenneth Bitner is v. Operators finally stopped the ride after people on the ground screamed at them, Lynthacum said.
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“Greene County 911 had been contacted from the fairgrounds, telling them there had been an accident with the Ferris wheel”.
An eyewitness said the ferris wheel vehicle appears to have gotten stuck as the wheel turned spilling three children to the ground.
Greeneville Police Capt. Tim Davis said during a news conference the other two were responsive and answering questions after falling 30 to 45 feet Monday night.
The amusement ride is being inspected by an inspector for the local fair board, by an inspector for the operator’s insurance company, and by the ride operator Family Attractions Amusements Co. of Valdosta, Georgia.
A Ferris wheel accident in East Tennessee is bringing fear to families across the state. They are not inspectors but will be assigned to work on permitting and verification of compliance with inspection and insurance requirements.
The Ferris wheel at the Greene County Fair was operated by Valdosta, Georgia-based Family Attractions Amusement. It had received its permit to operate in Tennessee based on an inspection made in IN in June.
Dr. J. Bracken Burns, a surgeon who is the hospital’s director of trauma services, told reporters Tuesday the 6-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Burns said the girl’s sister, who is 10, suffered injuries to her forearms and was in a cast. The youngest of the three was 16 years old.
Another witness said he saw the girls “bounce off the metal bridging of the ride” before they hit the ground some 12 metres below.
Tennessee recognizes other states’ inspections for up to three months before requiring a new permit, according to state Department of Labor and Workforce Development spokeswoman Jennifer Farrar.
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He said police are continuing to investigation but won’t have further information until third-party investigators complete their inspection of the Ferris wheel.
