Child dies after being ejected from New Jersey Harvest Festival ride
An annual fall festival in New Jersey ended in tragedy Saturday night when a 10-year-old girl fell off one of the rides and died after being airlifted to a hospital. The details surrounding her fall are still under investigation by New Jersey State Police.
The incident occurred Saturday night at around 6:15 p.m. in Deerfield Township. The child was on a ride called "Extreme," which features booths that twist around individually as the entire ride spins in circles.
State police issued a statement about the incident on Facebook, saying the girl suffered from serious injuries from the accident and was airlifted Cooper Hospital about an hour later. They have not released any updated information.
Amusement rides and games were closed Sunday, as well as a scheduled parade. The festival, run by the Deerfield Township Recreation Committee, remained open for all other scheduled events. Organizers posted their condolences on the festival website and stated that they will remain open to "offer a place for the community to come together in wake of this tragedy."
The company that owns the amusement rides at the festival, Skelly's Amusements, received permission to reopen Sunday, but said in a Facebook post that they were "absolutely heartbroken" about what occurred.
"Words cannot express our feelings and we extend our deepest sympathies to the individual's family and loved ones," the statement read. "We ask that you keep them in your thoughts."
Skelly's Amuseuments later added that they "don't have it in our heart" to operate rides Sunday and provided refunds at the festival ticket booth.
