ORLANDO, Fla. — The parents of a 14-year-old Missouri boy who fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride in 2022 have won a $310 million verdict against the attraction’s Austrian builder.
Late Thursday, the Orange County jury ordered that the manufacturer Funtime pay $155 million each to Tyre Sampson’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson.
He died on March 24, 2022, after falling 70 feet (21 meters) from the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park.
Icon Park, which rented the ride’s space to Orlando Slingshot, the ride’s owner and operator, had already settled with Sampson’s family for an undisclosed amount.
___ This version corrects that the ride is owned by Slingshot Group, not Icon Park.
ORLANDO, FL. — The parents of a Missouri boy, 14, who died after falling from a ride at an Orlando amusement park in 2022, have won a $310 million judgment against the Austrian builder of the attraction.
Tyre Sampson’s parents, Yarnell Sampson and Nekia Dodd, were awarded $155 million apiece by the Orange County jury late Thursday. After plummeting 70 feet (21 meters) from the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park, he passed away on March 24, 2022. Funtime did not show up to defend itself in court, so the trial was short—just one day.
Orlando Slingshot, the ride’s owner and operator, had already reached a settlement with Sampson’s family for an undisclosed sum with Icon Park, which rented the ride’s space.
In a statement, the family’s attorneys, Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, said, “The jury’s verdict validates what we have long maintained: Tyre’s death was the consequence of flagrant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits.”. “The manufacturers of the ride failed to uphold their responsibility to safeguard passengers, and Thursday’s outcome guarantees that they will pay the price. “.
The family will now need to ask an Austrian court for an order in order to get the damages.
A Friday email to Funtime’s headquarters asking for comment was not answered. According to its website, the company creates exhilarating rides like Vomatron, Sling Shot, and Chaos Pendle that can throw, drop, and spin riders at high speeds and from high altitudes.
On spring break, Sampson, a football star who weighed 380 pounds (172 kilograms) and stood 6 feet, 2 inches (1 point 9 meters) tall, traveled to Orlando. when he visited the downtown amusement park with friends in the St. Louis area.
The Orlando Free Fall dropped them 430 feet (131 meters) after strapping 30 riders into seats fastened to a tower and fastening them with a shoulder harness. It lacked seat belts, which are an extra safety precaution found on the majority of drop rides.
Sampson was thrown from his seat when the ride braked 70 feet from the ground because his size caused the harness to not lock securely.
His parents claimed that Funtime and Orlando Slingshot failed to provide a suitable restraint system and should have warned their son about the dangers of riding the ride at his size. The cost of installing seat belts would have been $660.
Following the accident, the state ordered the ride to close, but it never reopened. Right now, it’s being destroyed.
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