terdferg Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 The newest report claims she passed out while on the ride. Still does not explain how she fell out. If you pass out while sitting down like you are supposed to (and told to), there should be no problem. Inspectors were riding the "culprit" car on the wheel following the incident and nothing was to be found (so far). Still, a terrible accident for such a young person. Thoughts to her family and those who witnessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Peck Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) I hope I don't come off as "dark" but there was an incident on the Navy Pier wheel a few years ago where a 45 year old woman purposely jumped off of it. That's why that came to mind first. I just don't see how something can happen like this due to the way the tubs are designed. I suppose if she passed out, slid onto the floor and rolled towards a "perhaps" unlocked door it's possible. Edited June 4, 2011 by John Peck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmcdllr Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 She passed out then fell out? How do you do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terdferg Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 ^Beats me. Thats what 6abc reported on the 11 o'clock news. I also just remembered the picture in my avatar was taken from the ferris wheel in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I hope I don't come off as "dark" but there was an incident on the Navy Pier wheel a few years ago where a 45 year old woman purposely jumped off of it. That's why that came to mind first. I just don't see how something can happen like this due to the way the tubs are designed. I suppose if she passed out, slid onto the floor and rolled towards a "perhaps" unlocked door it's possible. By all means discuss this, but please leave out random speculation. Let's wait to hear more info first. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Just saw a new report this morning where they're saying she was alone in the car. I thought that was a bit odd especially since they kept saying how well liked she was and how this was a fun school trip, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bungle Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I have an 11 year old girl. What a nightmare, a parents worst fears.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drachen77 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 My thoughts and prayers are with that girl's family. Amusement parks are supposed to be fun adventures and to have something like that happen is beyond words. The rest of the kids in her class are probably devastated right now too. If this was some sort of accident, I hope they can figure out what happened and prevent it from happening again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deguy123 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 I have an 11 year old girl. What a nightmare, a parents worst fears.... I agree, I saw this on Friday and thought of my own 11 year old daughter. The family must be devastated over this and my thoughts go out to them. I'm also wondering why she was alone on the ride but it seems like one of those things they might not ever figure out what exactly happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terdferg Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Well, it was only a matter of time. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/123863444.html Parents are thinking about a lawsuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 This article from screamscape ALONE seems to counteract everything they are claiming in the lawsuit. Park News - (6/15/11) The latest news report regarding the Ferris Wheel death at Morey’s says that investigators believe the girl was either kneeling or standing on the seat to lean out the window, causing her to fall. The gondola was inspected and determined to be in perfect working order: the doors properly latched, no mechanical defects found and the railing was high enough to prevent someone from accidentally falling out. I do feel sorry for them... really very sorry... but I don't think they should win this case. She's 11... not 2... if she fell out and there are 0 problems it is VERY HARD for me to be able to point fingers at the park when they did nothing wrong. There is an age where you should be able to ride a Ferris Wheel on your own without falling out, and IMO 11 is well past that age. I mean, in Europe they don't even have fences around rides... I'm sorry if I sound insensitive, but this is a stupid lawsuit... plain and simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaMiTsPaT Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 ^I agree with you. While I cannot imagine losing a family member, or a child at that, it is stupid to try to blame the park when the ferris wheel is in perfect working condition. Someone from the group she was with should have been with her, and that is not the park's fault. If the family does file a lawsuit and wins it would frustrate me to no end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terdferg Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 The parent's argument for seatbelts bothers me because a car moves at high speeds with other free-moving vehicles. It is not like there is another ferris wheel on a turntable next to this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Bleh... some of the comments on that thing are actually intelligent(for once) but at the same time there are people who are talking about "the hidden dangers of rides." It annoys me to NO END when people try to create a problem that isn't there... it also annoys me that based on the facts it seems as though some people believe a park would willingly put in an attraction that is known to be dangerous, because that's clearly what they mean by "the hidden dangers of rides." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardCraze Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 *sigh* This girl had an accident. It's a shame, it really is, and I'm so sorry for the parents. But to claim the ride needs seatbelts, or a "cage" is just beyond nonsense. The girl was 12, she should have known standing and leaning over the edge wasn't the brightest idea. And the shame of it all is that the park will suffer, and changes could potentially be made to the Ferris Wheel, all because some parents found a sue-happy lawyer and tried to get rich off their daughter's unfortunate death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 I expect the park will settle with the parents if/when a lawsuit is filed. It ends up being cheaper than a trial in the long run, and the park doesn't receive the black mark of losing at trial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaweetDude04 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Looks like it didn't take long for New Jersey to crack down http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/14/new.jersey.ferris.wheels/index.html?hpt=us_c2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 There's another thread on the boards asking why there are lots of attendants at US amusement parks. Legal liability in this country is why. If the parents find out that other parks and amusement operators have seat belts on their ferris wheels (and some do) they'll put forth an argument that the park was negligent in its operation by not providing some semblance of a restraint system to prevent people from doing something enormously stupid. And they might win. When it comes to liability lawsuits in Europe, the need to prevent stupid people from doing stupid things generally does not work in the courts and instead gets thrown out quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Seatbelts don't solve a thing. If someone wants to get out, what's to stop them from taking off a seatbelt? The lawsuit is ridiculous as well since the park did nothing wrong. If anything, they should sue whoever she was on the trip with for letting her go off on her own. Even if there's not a chaperone at all times, it should be required that students stay in groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 There's nothing to stop anyone from removing a seatbelt. The thing is though, a functioning seatbelt requires the rider consciously remove it. If you're in the seatbelt, you can't accidentally cause yourself to fall out unless you remove it, which switches the onus of responsibility onto the person taking it off. The legal argument then would be that Morey's didn't do enough to prevent people from being able to accidentally fall out of the ferris wheel; I guarantee that's what they bring to the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesdillaman Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 ^ They make seatbelts you have to unlock with a metal key (It's more like a little pin). Instead of a buckle with a button, there's a small hole in it. If memory serves me right some Flyers have this system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterGuy06 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 ^Woodstock at Cedar Point also has these. Nothing like having to have a ride op unlock a grown man's seatbelt. What we do for a credit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skycoastin Steve Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 ^Well, if you carry a ballpoint pen around like I do, you can unlock it yourself when the ride ends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 This entire thing is just ridiculous. The family just needs to comprehend that it wasn't the park's fault. Sadly, this is hard to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal1br3tto Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I don't even think of seatbelts on Ferris wheels as a strange concept. In fact, I might even prefer to have them! I once rode a wheel with an optional strap...and used it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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