Greeneville Police Capt. Tim Davis said at a news conference late Tuesday that “mechanical failure” appeared to have caused the basket the girls were riding in to overturn Monday night at the Greene County Fair in eastern Tennessee.
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Bobby Holt, acting president of Greene County Fair Board, said all rides operated by Family Attractions Amusement company were closed afterward and won’t reopen until a third-party inspection is complete and approved by state and fair officials.
All other rides at the fair were also inspected, but only minor issues were found and were corrected on the spot.
“A 6-year-old girl suffered a traumatic brain injury and remained in critical condition after she and two other girls fell from a Ferris wheel at the Greene County Fair on Monday night, a doctor said”.
All three children had reportedly been awake, alert and coherently answering questions at the hospital on Monday night.
All rides at the fair were shut down after the incident.
News 2 is now learning the same company that was at the East Tennessee fair, Family Attractions Amusement Company, is scheduled to stop in Dickson County.
The state relies instead on private inspectors hired by ride operators as well as inspections in other states to determine if roller coasters, zip lines and Ferris wheels are safe.
“They fell a distance of anywhere between 35 and 45 feet”, Davis said.
“One was a 10-year-old”, he said. I actually thought they were dead. “We are deeply shocked and saddened”.
Gregory Lynthacum told ABC News he saw the events unfold. “Please keep these families in your prayers”, the Facebook page said.
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development said last week there had been four amusement device accidents in the state since July 1, WATE.com reported.
“There can be two or three companies with the same name”, he said.
Two children were flown to Johnson City Medical Center because of the severity of their injuries.
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As investigators head to Greeneville, authorities said today that inspections could take a few days. “She was evaluated and found to be in critical condition”, Burns said.
