Horrifying Video Shows Ohio State Fair Ride Malfunction Leaving 1 Dead and 7 Injured

"The whole car went flying off and over the side while in motion,” a witness said.

One person has died and seven others are injured after a ride at the Ohio State Fair unexpectedly broke down on Wednesdayand the shocking incident was caught on tape. Three of the people injured are currently in critical condition. The cause of the accident remains unknown. 

Trigger warning: The video below shows the accident occurring.

 

The ride, named Fire Ball, swings back and forth while passengers dangle from their seats while spinning around. But the ride malfunctioned on Wednesday, and "the whole car went flying off and over the side while in motion," according to a witness who spoke to NBC News.

"The ride was going as normal, and then all of a sudden you see people flying out, and then the guy hit the emergency stop button, which then made the seat fly off and people flew off as well," said Britney Neal, who also spoke with NBC News. Neal told the outlet that she was next in line to board the ride.

Ohio Governor John Kasich has ordered a full investigation and demanded that all state fair rides be closed down until additional safety inspections can be conducted. "I am terribly saddened by this accident, by the loss of life and that people were injured enjoying Ohio's fair," Kasich said in a statement.

Michael Vartorella, chief inspector for amusement ride safety at Ohio’s Department of Agriculture, said the ride had been "looked at about three or four times over the course of two days" by both his team and a third party. "We take this job very serious," he said. "And when we have a tragedy like this, it hits everybody. It hits us really hard. My children, my grandchildren ride this equipment. Our guys do not rush through this stuff. We look at it, we take care of it, and we pretend it's our own."

Officials have named the people injured: Tamika Dunlap, 36, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Russell Franks, 42, of Columbus, Ohio; Keziah Lewis, 19, of Columbus, Ohio; Jacob Andrews, 22, of Pataskala, Ohio; Jennifer Lambert, 18, of Columbus, Ohio; Abdihakim Hussein, 19, of Columbus, Ohio. A 14-year-old boy was also injured, but police did not release his name, at his family's request.

The one person killed was 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell of Columbus, Ohio.

According to fair organizers, 921,000 people passed through the event last year. The fair is currently scheduled to remain open until Aug. 6.

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