A jury in the US state of Florida has awarded $310 million (Rs 2,624 crore) to the family of a teenager who was killed after falling off a Free Fall Tower drop ride at Orlando’s ICON Park in 2022. Tyre Sampson was only 14 years old when he plummeted 70 feet from the ride at the amusement park that he was visiting on a spring break trip with his football team. The kid’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, will each be receiving $155 million (Rs 1,312 crore) from Funtime, the ride’s manufacturer, that has been held responsible for the deadly incident.
“This verdict is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products. The jury’s decision confirms what we have long argued: Tyre’s death was the result of blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits,” read a statement by attorneys representing Tyre’s parents.
“The ride’s manufacturers neglected their duty to protect passengers, and today’s outcome ensures they face the consequences of those decisions.”
The trial only lasted a day as Funtime failed to appear in the court to defend itself. The family had already reached an undisclosed settlement with ICON Park. It now faces the challenge of pursuing the $310 million damages from Funtime, which is based in Austria and will need to seek a court order from an Austrian court to collect.
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How did Tyre Sampson fall to death?
The Missouri teen plummeted to his death after slipping out of the seat on the 400 ft-tall ride. The Free Fall ride which placed 30 riders in seats attached to a tower, secured the passengers with a shoulder harness and then dropped them 430 feet. Surprisingly, it did not have seat belts, something which most drop rides have as an additional safety measure.
Mr Sampson also weighed 173 kilograms, which exceeded the ride’s 129-kilogram weight limit but was still allowed to sit on the ride. Due to his size, the harness did not lock properly and he was ejected from the seat when the ride braked at height.
The ride has since been disassembled with Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis greenlighting the Tyre Sampson Act in May 2023 which aims to bolster safety requirements for amusement park attractions. The family has also demanded an industry-wide revamp to implement “stricter safety measures and oversight” to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
