"Excessive corrosion" led to Ohio State Fair accident, ride manufacturer says
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State Fair ride that malfunctioned last month, killing one person and injuring several others, was found to have "excessive corrosion" that ultimately caused a support beam to break, the ride's manufacturer announced Sunday.
The Netherlands-based KMG International said in a statement that excessive corrosion was found on the inside of the gondola support beam, dangerously reducing the metal arm's thickness over the years.
KMG said it sent a team of investigators to inspect the ride in Columbus, Ohio, and reviewed security footage of the fatal incident. It also conducted a "metallurgical inspection" of the ride.
The company said it has worked with industry safety experts to develop an" inspection protocol in the form of a Safety Bulletin to allow properly inspected and maintained rides to safely reopen."
All rides at the fair were shut down following the fatal accident as officials re-inspected them, CBS affiliate WBNS-TV reports.
The accident killed 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell, whose family plans to file a wrongful death suit, and left seven others injured.
"It's just scary, like a nightmare come true," 19-year-old Abdihakim Hussein told CBS News' Adriana Diaz.
Hussein and his girlfriend were passengers in the row next to the car that detached.
"It started going faster, then it started going higher. That's when it hit the ride, like 'boom!' and my whole life just flashed in front of me, like, I just seen people dying," Hussein said. "It's still stuck in my head because it could have been one of us."
