Every year millions of people around the world flock to amusement parks, carnivals and festivals to ride the various thrill rides and to have a good time in general. While amusement park ride accidents are rare, they are also tragic.
Two people were injured in a Ferris wheel accident on Thursday night at the Chelsea Community Fair in Michigan. Police were called to the fair around 8:30 p.m. on a report of two juveniles being injured on a ride. When they arrived on the scene, police determined that the two juveniles had fallen from the ride.
Witnesses who were nearby and on the ride themselves confirmed that the two kids had fallen.
The Huron Valley Ambulance and Chelsea Area Fire Authority also arrived on the scene and two physicians rendered aid to the victims. The two juveniles were taken to the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
Witnesses describe Ferris wheel accident at Chelsea fair: 'Oh my God, they're falling' http://t.co/OMuBVHvVIF pic.twitter.com/xJBpcvuPrr
— Jackson Cit Pat (@JacksonCitPat) August 22, 2014
Authorities have been investigating the accident and have determined that crutches may have been the reason the juveniles fell from the ride.
One of the victims, a 16-year-old girl, boarded the ride with her crutches. Witnesses said that the girl was wearing a leg brace and using the crutches when she passed by the ride operator.
Investigators believe that the crutches may have partially slipped from the Ferris wheel cab and become lodged in such a way that they caused the cab to tip over, knocking the girl and her 8-year-old brother from their seats.
They also determined that the two victims likely fell about 15 feet to the ground. The boy has been released from the hospital, his sister has not. Authorities plan to talk to the girl once she is released.
The Ferris wheel was reopened on Friday and the ride company has not released a statement about the accident.
