Parents Awarded $310M After Teen Son Fell To His Death On Amusement Park Ride

The parents of Tyre Sampson, the 14-year-old who died at an Orlando amusement park, were awarded $310 million by a jury on Thursday. They won their case against Funtime, the Austrian manufacturer of the ride.

Sampson’s parents Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson were each awarded $155 million, the Associated Press reported. Now, they are waiting for an order from an Austrian court to collect the damages.

“The jury’s decision confirms what we have long argued: Tyre’s death was the result of blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits,” Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, the family’s lawyers, said. “The ride’s manufacturers neglected their duty to protect passengers, and (Thursday’s) outcome ensures they face the consequences.”

Sampson died on March 24, 2022. He fell 70 feet while on the Orlando Free Fall ride at Orlando’s Icon Park. He was visiting the city while on spring break and decided to spend the day with his friends at the amusement park.

The ride, which features a 430 feet drop, did not have seatbelts. It did include a harness but it did not lock properly on Sampson, who was ejected from his seat.

After the tragic incident, the state of Florida ordered the ride to be closed. It never reopened and is now set to be demolished.

“We are devastated by Tyre’s death,” CEO of The SlingShot Group Ritchie Armstrong, which operates the ride, said in a statement. “We have listened to the wishes of Tyre’s family and the community and have made the decision to take down the FreeFall.”

Icon Park has already settled with Sampson’s family for an undisclosed amount, according to AP News.

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