ORLANDO, Fla. — As the state’s investigation into the death of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson on the Orlando Free Fall drop tower last week continues, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said Friday her department will look into changing Florida laws to ensure amusement park rides are safe.
Appearing in Orlando at news conference with Fried, state Rep. Geraldine Thompson, an Orlando Democrat, said she would help initiate any applicable “legislative action” needed to expand the division’s authority after the accident investigation concludes.
“I’m also here today to reassure Tyre’s family, friends, and all those impacted by this tragedy that we are fully committed to finding out what happened so we can better prevent such tragedies from happening in the future,” Fried said. “And that’s why we will not be jumping to any conclusions before the information is provided to us and we know all the facts.”
Under Florida’s current statutes, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services gives ride operators and manufacturers a lot of autonomy to oversee ride safety and operation themselves, Thompson said, and enhancing the agency’s authority could help fill those gaps.
“Once we have the investigation (final report), I’ll be working on the Tyree Sampson Bill to address whatever the problems are,” Thompson said. “And the theme parks, all of them, are in my legislative district, so I know that tourism in this area is the lifeblood of the state of Florida and of the community. So I have a lot of stakeholders who are very interested in coming together and working collaboratively to address the problem.”
Appearing alongside Fried and Thompson, Richard Kimsey, the director of the Division of Consumer Services, said Florida is one of just 29 states that have amusement ride safety programs. There is no federal regulation for amusement rides.
Thompson has been in touch with civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing Tyre’s father Yarnell Sampson, and she has heard Tyre’s family is not interested in placing blame for the accident but in “fixing the problem,” she said.
Tyre’s mother, Nekia Dodd, has retained personal injury attorney Bob Hilliard to represent her.
Fried did not give an estimated timeline for the investigation Friday but said it will take as long as necessary. She said the state has hired forensic engineering firm Quest Engineering and Failure Analysis to assist in the probe.
The engineering firm can go beyond the state’s investigation and analyze the mechanisms and calibrations of the ride itself, Fried said. State investigators can only ensure the equipment of the ride meets both state standards and those set by the ride manufacturer, she added.
Fried said her agency consulted the same firm in the past when investigating a 2018 accident that injured several riders on the Sandblaster roller coaster in Daytona Beach. That investigation found the Sandblaster derailed because of “excessive speed” and damage to the ride’s track and axles, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
In an unsigned statement issued after the press conference, ICON Park, where the ride is located, said it appreciated the department’s “diligence and thoroughness” in investigating the accident.
“ICON Park looks forward to working with elected officials, regulators, and the amusement industry to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again,” it read.
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