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State fire marshal closes all 'Fire Ball' rides in Indiana after fatal accident at Ohio State Fair

Ind. State Fair will not have 'Fire Ball' ride
Posted at 10:58 AM, Jul 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-27 21:33:25-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana State Fire Marshal has directed all "Fire Ball" amusement rides in the state to be immediately taken out of service after one person was killed and several were injured when they were ejected from the attraction at the Ohio State Fair.

The call comes just hours after the Indiana State Fair announced it would not be operating the 'Fire Ball' ride at this year's fair. 

Gov. Eric Holcomb said ride safety is a priority.

"We'll make sure that all of our rides are safe and secure, and people will hopefully break a record at our state fair next month," said Holcomb.

Video captured by a bystander at the Ohio State Fair Wednesday evening shows the Fire Ball ride swinging back and forth like a pendulum and spinning in the air when it crashed into something and part of the ride flew off. 

An 18-year-old man was killed and seven other people were injured. The injured ranged in ages from 13 to 41. Two of them are in critical condition. 

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by the tragic accident at the Ohio State Fair," Indiana State Fairgrounds posted on their Facebook page Thursday morning. "As the investigation into the cause of this accident continues, the Indiana State Fair and North American Midway Entertainment have made the decision to not operate the Fireball at the 2017 Indiana State Fair."

According to the Associated Press, a company providing rides at the Ohio State Fair this year describes the Fire Ball as an "aggressive thrill ride."

Despite the tragic accident, some in Indianapolis said they still plan to attend the Indiana State Fair.

"It's the cultural diversity that I enjoy," said Barbara Harges. "The children get to learn various things about various cultures, various foods. Things that we haven't seen before that people bring into the fair. So, I think that's the neatest part." 

RELATED | Riders ejected from attraction at state fair in Ohio, 1 dead

On its website, Amusements of America said that since its debut in 2002, the Fire Ball, which was manufactured by KMG, had become "one of the most popular thrill rides on the AOA Midway." The company's description of the ride said it swings riders 40 feet (12 meters) above the midway while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.

Harges said she in the past she has checked the rides herself before letting her son board.

"We just have to make sure we see the people strapping people in, because a lot of times you can take notice if the people who are putting people on the rides are taking precautions to keep people safe, strapping people in, making sure the rides aren't doing anything crazy," she said.

The Indiana State Fair runs from August 4-20 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds