ORLANDO, Fla. — Standing in front of the Orlando Free Fall drop tower where her 14-year-old son Tyre Sampson lost his life nearly a year ago, Nekia Dodd and her lawyer announced Wednesday they had reached a settlement with ride owner Orlando Slingshot and landlord ICON Park in the civil lawsuit over Tyre’s death.
Dodd and attorney Michael Haggard said the negligence lawsuit, filed in April, is still continuing against others involved in the ride’s manufacturing and construction, including ride manufacturers Funtime Handels GmbH and Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH.
They declined to discuss the terms of the settlement reached with Orlando Slingshot and ICON Park Wednesday, saying it was not the right time.
But Dodd, wearing a shirt with a photograph of Tyre and flanked by Tyre’s sister and cousin, said she planned to put the money toward academic and sports programs in her son’s name. Wednesday marked the first time she visited the ride, and she blinked back tears while describing how she felt.
“I didn’t want to come under the circumstances, but I had to do this. I had to,” she said.
As crews worked to take the Orlando Free Fall drop tower down behind her, Dodd said her “emotions were all over” about the ride’s dismantlement. Construction crews started the process of removing the 430-foot drop tower Tuesday.
“The ride is coming down. I’m thankful for that,” she said. “But, you know, my son isn’t coming back. So it’s a bittersweet moment.”
Orange County court records did not yet show a notice of settlement filed in the case Wednesday afternoon.
“We are pleased that a settlement has been reached,” Orlando Slingshot attorney Trevor Arnold said in a statement. “We also continue to support (state) Sen. (Geraldine) Thompson in her efforts to make the ‘Tyre Sampson bill’ state law.”
ICON Park deferred questions on the settlement to Tyre’s family. In a separate statement, the company said it has supported Thompson’s proposed Tyre Sampson Act, which includes ride safety legislation reform.
“While the Free Fall ride is not owned and was not controlled or operated by ICON Park, because it is a tenant on the property, we agree with the owner’s decision to dismantle the ride and our hearts are with the family as they witness this important milestone,” an unsigned statement from the company said.
Haggard called the ride a “death trap” as he revealed the lawsuit’s continuation against the other defendants.
“There’s no other way to describe it,” Haggard said.
Representatives for Funtime, an Austria-based company, and German firm Gerstlauer did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Wednesday.
Both Dodd and Haggard said they want part of Tyre’s legacy to be improved ride safety regulations, such as those proposed in Thompson’s bill.
Haggard said he spoke with Thompson and helped persuade her to add an amendment to the bill requiring rides to have secondary safety restraints such as seat belts for attractions that raise riders more than 100 feet. He said he believes such a measure could have saved Tyre’s life.
An amendment with that language was added to the bill Monday, which won approval in the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Haggard reiterated Tyre’s family’s position against a companion bill, which would shield documents in ride safety accidents from public records requests while an investigation is active. He said he and Dodd have discussed those concerns with Thompson.
Tyre, a 14-year-old football player from St. Louis, died March 24 after slipping out of a modified restraint on the Orlando Free Fall while the drop tower on International Drive was descending.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ accident investigation found Orlando Slingshot adjusted two of the ride’s restraints to open wider to accommodate larger riders, and 383-pound Tyre was allowed to board the ride despite exceeding its weight limit by nearly 100 pounds.
Orlando Slingshot initially denied the state’s allegations but settled with the agency in February, paying it a $250,000 fine and agreeing never to operate the Free Fall again.
The drop tower’s removal from ICON Park is expected to continue into next week.
Yards away from where Dodd and Haggard spoke Wednesday, the tower’s detached flame-shaped topper sat on the ground behind a fence at the construction site.
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