Blunt force trauma killed teen on state fair ride
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tyler Jarrell, 18, poses for a photo. Jarrell was killed in a thrill ride accident at the Ohio State Fair on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio. The Marine Corps and school officials said Jarrell enlisted last week and was going to begin basic training next summer after his high school graduation.
COLUMBUS, Ohio >> A coroner says preliminary findings show the man killed after a ride fell apart at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus died of blunt force trauma.
Franklin County Coroner Anahi Ortiz said Friday that 18-year-old Tyler Jerrell suffered head, trunk and lower extremity injuries when he was thrown into the air after a ride called the Fire Ball ride malfunctioned Wednesday. Seven people were injured, several critically.
Jerrell’s family has hired an attorney to possibly pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.
The ride’s Dutch manufacturer ordered Fire Ball rides shut down worldwide after the accident.
Jerrell would have been a high school senior. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps a week before the accident.
Some rides on the state fair midway have reopened after being inspected by state officials.
