ORLANDO — A towering ride in the central Florida tourist district where a Missouri teenager fell to his death will be dismantled due to the crash, the owner said Thursday.
The decision to remove the 400-foot (122-meter)-plus ride that opened last December in Orlando’s International Drive neighborhood was directly linked to the death of 14-year-old Tire Sampson last March, the official said. owner, Orlando Slingshot, in a statement.
Sampson, who lived near St. Louis, Missouri, was visiting Orlando over spring break when he died of a fall. The company also said it plans to create a scholarship in the teenager’s name.
“We are devastated by Tyr’s death. We have listened to the wishes of Tire’s family and the community, and have made the decision to remove the FreeFall,” said Ritchie Armstrong, an Orlando Slingshot manager.
An autopsy showed Tire Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed that Sampson weighed 383 pounds (173 kilograms), well over the driver’s manual weight limit of 287 pounds (130 kilograms).
An initial report from outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said the ride’s sensors had been manually adjusted to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, preventing the teenager to be properly secured. The report said there were many other “potential contributions” to the crash and that a full review of the ride’s design and operations was needed.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/RRXQW2ER66QDBYV7ZKCKB53PGA.jpg "An Orlando Freefall Tower seat is covered in plastic and duct tape at ICON Park on International Drive in Orlando.")
[ RICARDO RAMIREZ BUXEDA | Orlando Sentinel ]
Tire Sampson’s family has filed a lawsuit against the ride’s owner, manufacturer and owner, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe ride.
No timeline was given for when the ride will be dismantled.
