Did Negligence Play A Role In Florida Amusement Ride Death?
Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard are citing negligence in the death of 14-year-old St. Louis, Missouri teen, Tyre Sampson.
While on spring break, Sampson visited Florida with his family, where he and his friends rode the world's tallest free-standing drop tower (430-feet tall) on Thursday (March 24). ICON Park's Free Fall, that ride that Sampson died on, reached its usual speed of 75 miles per hour just after 11 p.m. when it dropped and he was killed.
According to WESH, Sampson was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital where he died shortly after from his injuries.
His father, Yarnell Sampson, told WTVT that his son began “freaking out, and he was explaining to his friend next to him, ‘I don’t know man. If I don’t make it down, please tell my Mom and Daddy I love them,’” his father told the news station. "For him to say something like that, he must have felt something."
Hilliard points out the negligence of the late teen’s death: his height, weight, and safety parameters play significant factors in the ongoing investigation.
“This young man, he was athletic and he was big. He had no way of knowing,” said Hilliard during a Saturday (March 26) interview according to ABC News. “This is going to be an issue of a lack of supervision and lack of training. A straight-up negligence case."
Sampson was a rising football star who had already experienced incredible growth in size, standing 6 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing over 300 pounds. He had dreams to ultimately play in the NFL.
“This family is shocked and heartbroken at the loss of their son,” said Crump in a statement. “This young man was the kind of son every parent hopes for — an honor roll student, an aspiring athlete, and a kind-hearted person who cared about others. Needless to say, his family is absolutely devastated.”
