COLUMBUS, Ohio — The manufacturer who created a ride responsible for an accident that left one person dead and seven others injured at the 2017 Ohio State Fair was slated to have a ride at this year's fair, according to a spokesperson for the Ohio Expo Center & State Fair.
Alicia Shoults, the Expo Center's assistant general manager, said that following the tragic accident in 2017, the fair has been clear with their amusement ride provider, Talley Amusements, that they do not want rides manufactured by KMG Rides. She said they had been assured that no rides made by KMG would be at the Ohio State Fair.
Shoults said on Friday, they discovered that a ride manufactured by KMG was present at the 2023 Ohio State Fair and was planned for this year's fair as well.
Upon learning this information, Governor Mike DeWine ordered the fair to pull the ride from this year's lineup.
Shoults said the name of the KMG ride at last year's fair was "Crazy Surf" and there were no incidents involving it.
This discovery comes just days after it was announced that a New Jersey court awarded $78 million to four injured parties involved in the accident.
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