Sergeant James Hackemer was 29-years-old when he died on the Ride of Steel at Darien Lake Theme Park in Syracuse, New York. In the third accident, Joshua Smurphat, a mentally disabled 12-year-old, died in August 1999 in a fall from the Drop Zone Stunt Tower at Paramounts Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, Calif. Dwaileebe, who weighed more than 300 pounds, came out of that ride like a cork out of a champagne bottle, said his attorney, Francis M. Letro, who has filed a $5-million lawsuit against Intamin and Six Flags. It was one of two fatal accidents in as many days, the other one in California. We need to get the information out on the table, said park safety advocate Kathy Fackler of La Jolla, founder of SaferParks. The girl sitting next to Ryan claims that she held onto the lap bar as to not fall out herself and pulled it back down before the ride ended. However, some workers and customers at Great America said yesterday that the sadness of Joshua's death seemed to cast a pall over the normally fun thrill park, which flew its flags at half-staff in Joshua's memory. Unfortunately,. Christopher fell onto another track on the ride and was fatally struck by more than one car. Even the carousel person is saying if you get off the horse, the ride will be stopped and you will be kicked out.". Both of the women died from extensive blunt-trauma injuries. Tamar Fellner was riding the Raven roller coaster but fell out on the first and steepest hill after she allegedly stood up in her seat during the 69-foot drop. After he was launched into the air, Charron's harness disconnected and he fell over 100-feet to the ground below. "I saw my son fly off of the ride. A second witness, a family friend who was on the ride with Joshua, said he did not remember the boy's safety harness being checked by workers before the ride began. Dwaileebe should not have ridden the ride because he was too obese, he said. That would have prevented my brothers death," she said. I think thats part of the reason. All Family Trees results for smurphat. At about 78 feet, a magnetic braking system catches the riders and gently brings them to the ground. Tami L. Smurphat, 39, alleges that Great America allowed four unsupervised youths to operate the Drop Zone ride on August 22, none of whom checked Joshua's harness before the thrill ride began. "Its business as usual for them. "A secondary safety system will hopefully prevent a death. Her family sued Six Flags as they were to blame for the ride malfunctioning, as well as a slow response time on behalf of the person operating the ride. Owner double checked all the lifts. On July 10, 2003 at Six Flags New Orleans, a 52-year-old grandmother named Rosa Donaldson was helping her 4-year-old grandson into the Joker's Jukebox ride when she was hit in the head by a moving car on the ride and then struck again by another. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Joshua Smurphat, who fatally fell from a ride in 1999, is remembered by his family who are pushing for stricter safety measures after a similar death, Smurphat fell from a drop ride, similar to the one 14-year-old Tyre Sampson was killed on in 2022, 'I was standing five feet from where he fell when he did die,' said Joshua's mother, Tami Smurphat, Mom recalls gut-wrenching moment her 12-year-old sons body landed feet from her after 100ft fall from amusement ride, Bizarre 'reason' for Walmart's anti-theft devices on energy drinks and why they 'won't make much difference', Widower, 91, killed in devastating house explosion after making mistake while building worktop, Inside 'cop informant' Jorge Ramirez's death in a police shootout and how it 'exposed Bakersfield force corruption', Im an ex Ryanair air hostess & I flashed a pilot mid-flight - there were some wild stories onboard, Chilling map shows site where two missing teen girls, 15 and 17, were found dead as eerie position of bodies revealed, Join Britain's biggest volunteering scheme on the King's Coronation day, urges head Scout Bear Grylls. Tyre Sampson died during Lunation number 1227 in the year 2022. Lyrics to Mack & Ryan Lewis feat. The rider sits without a seatbelt, while the feet hang freely. "A secondary safety system will hopefully prevent a death. They also will examine the ride equipment and try to determine if anyone wanted to hurt Joshua, who was mentally and physically disabled. Check your DNS Settings. Joshua was on the latest of many trips to the park, said one family friend who came to the park yesterday to drop off flowers. Smurphat was born in the year '87. She left The Times in November 2021. Greg Sanders, ride maintenance manager for the park, said the harness is electronically operated and can be lifted only after the ride has stopped at the bottom. The Horrifying Death Of Joshua Smurphat | The INFAMOUS Drop Zone Stunt Tower Disaster Disastrous 3.72K subscribers Subscribe 11K views 1 month ago #themepark #accidentnews #dropzone The. In 1998, 21-year-old Jarome Charron attended the Central Canada Exhibition in Ottawa, Canada with the hopes of having a good time at the fair. The Grizzly, a roller coaster near Great America's Drop Zone, also was shut down yesterday to give investigators better access to the Drop Zone, but other than that, rides ran as usual, said park spokesman Timothy Chanaud. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The Dominator was reopened the following Monday with no plans to have any changes made to the ride. "I cannot comment directly on it," Chanaud said. They then are hoisted 200 feet up a tower and free-fall about two-thirds of the way down, reaching speeds of 62 m.p.h., before braking to a halt. Depositions were being taken this week in that case, and a trial is pending. "The same situation happened in 1999, a drop tower ride. The boy who was riding in the front car was thrown from the ride upon impact and reportedly hit a steel support beam and fell below the tracks. The Cedar Points PR Manager Bryan Edwards made a statement that the woman who suffered head injuries was only taken to the hospital "as a precaution" and failed to mention the seriousness of the injury. display: block; Although most of these horrific amusement park accidents involve incidents where people are thrown unwilling from a passenger car, sometimes the person is still on the ride when it pulls back into the station. Ryan had gone to Worlds of Fun amusement park with a group of friends the day of the fatal accident in 1995. "But we have to look at all the parameters and explore all the avenues -- maintenance records and employee experience. Based on the report, the Santa Clara County district attorney's office found that there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges against anyone involved. Park officials claim that the lap bar was securely fastened when the ride began and when it ended, thus Ryan Bielby could not have been killed due to a malfunction. "My son, Daniel, has been skittish about going on any of the big rides today," she said, "and we have noticed on every ride they are checking and double-checking when they put you on. The family says 12-year-old Joshua Smurphat was on a drop ride at a California amusement park when slipped out of his seat and fell to his death. "The boy was kind of struggling to stay in, then he flew out feet first, flipped cartwheel-style over, and fell straight down on his head. Yet every season the reports come pouring in of people seriously injured or horrifically killed while enjoying a day at the amusement park. Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara quickly hired a consulting firm, Exponent Inc. in Menlo Park, to help determine how Joshua Smurphat of Sunnyvale, a mentally disabled 12-year-old . While riding the roller coaster Wild Wonder, the car climbing to the top of the first drop lost its traction and came hurtling backward. He was air-lifted to a children's hospital in Cleveland where he entered ICU. Also located in Cedar Point is the ride Skyhawk. It's my life. Michael Dwaileebe, 37, of Olean, N.Y., suffered rib fractures and internal injuries when he fell about eight feet from the ride, which was equipped with T-shaped lap bars but no seat belts. Fellner's father filed a lawsuit against the park in 2005 claiming that she died due to negligence. "I saw my son fly off of the ride. The emergency brake also failed. When he was fastened securely into the harness on the "Rocket Launcher" ride, he probably didn't think he was in any real danger. Park officials disputed witness accounts suggesting that the boy was not properly strapped into his seat. In each accident, he said, the rider or operators should have been more responsible. I dont got that, but what I do got, is a heart of a lion. Chanaud emphasized that safety is the park's first concern. The bouquet appeared to be the last comment by the family for now. Can't use the emergency stop button if the whole machine is already fucked. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam, ChatGPT who? However, other accounts online claim that two boys jumped out of the log ride, but only Michael Dorsey was killed. For the 4-year-olds, the 5-year-olds and the 300-pound women, for the people at the edges, the risk rises considerably. Examiner Photo by Craig Lee, The Drop Zone tower ride is seen at night at the Great America Amusement Park. Paramount runs rides similar to Drop Zone at its parks in Ohio, North Carolina, and Canada, and all three were shut down yesterday awaiting the results of the California investigation, company representatives said. The Sunnyvale boys family has filed a lawsuit against the park and Intamin, contending that the shoulder harness was not in a locked position and that the rides design allows it to start even if the restraints arent secured. Check your DNS Settings. Park officials would not comment on the lawsuit. It wasn't immediately known how far he fell. Give a trial date, so this family can get answers," Crump said. AP Photo/family photo, Tami Smurphat, the victim's mother. "We are asking the court to fast-track the case. After plummeting from an amusement park ride about to be closed for a safety check, a disabled 12-year-old boy died. Tyres father, Yarnell Sampson, sang with the others. And that is why there should be an emergency stop button available for anyone to press. ", A large bouquet of daisies and irises, set around a smiling portrait of the boy in a New York Mets baseball uniform, was left at the entrance of the park last night by relatives. According to the park this is the first serious accident on this attraction, which is one of the most popular rides at the park. The entire ride was to be taken out of commission for the rest of the day but not until the final group of riders, including Joshua, were given their turn. A Long Island man died Monday night in an apparent accident on a stand-up roller coaster, a day after a 12-year-old disabled boy died on an amusement park ride in California. On August 7, 2016, a horrific accident at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City left the world stunned. The friend, Jay Lingenfelter, 35, also said the accident seemed to occur when the ride's magnetic breaking system engaged more than halfway down the tower. grandma to 3!!! Report Tami Smurphat with a photo of son Joshua, who died on a free-fall amusement park ride. The lady was allowed to ride the ride by the instructions that we were given by the manufacturer, Falfas said. 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