DUBOIS CO. – All rides at the Dubois County Fair were suspended after an “incident” on Monday. A young girl was thrown from a ride. The girl suffered injuries to her head and elbow and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The Department of Indiana Homeland Security is investigating the incident and has revealed some shocking details from its inspection. The ride was last inspected on June 11, and two of the ride carriages were found unsafe to use due to safety violations. An inspection on July 16 found that the two original carriages had not been repaired and three new violations. After those violations were found, the ride was ordered closed and unable to operate in Indiana until the violations were corrected. The owner has 30 days to comply with the repairs.
“The ride in question was found to have violations today following our onsite inspection,” said Indiana Department of Homeland Security official David Hosick. “I do not have a list of those specific violations yet; however, the ride was ordered closed and is not permitted to operate in Indiana until the repairs are made. The owner has 30 days to comply, and the ride cannot be put back into service until it passes a compliance inspection by IDHS.”
On Monday night, Anna Deorto waited for over half an hour with her siblings to ride the “rock and roll.”
When they finally reached a seat, she invited a single rider, a young girl, to join them.
Deorto, her siblings, and the young girl settled in their seats. Deorto says the men operating the ride never checked their seatbelts.
Once the ride started, disaster struck. During the dips and turns, the young girl flew out head first.
Deorto and others who witnessed the incident yelled and waved their arms to alert the operator what happened, but the ride continued.
Deorto claims the operator didn’t check on the injured girl, who walked to the ride entrance.
Afterward, the girl and some adults approached who they believed was a ride official. She called the owner. The family was told to return at 9:30 p.m. when the owner arrived.
Due to the incident, Dubois County Fair officials decided to suspend all rides and replace them with inflatables on Wednesday to keep everyone safe and have no more issues.
Fair organizers hope the community will continue participating and enjoying the many activities available, ensuring a fun and safe fair experience for all.
The fair continues through July 19.
