Posted on 09/19/2004 4:17:53 PM PDT by BenLurkin
SHREWSBURY, Mass. (AP) - A carnival ride broke apart during a church fair Sunday, killing a man and injuring two other people. Shrewsbury police said the spinning-car ride came apart about 2 p.m. near Saint Mary's Church and parochial school.
"It was really just a nightmare, a lot of children crying, mothers crying, more blood than I've ever seen," said Kathleen Madaus, 44, of Shrewsbury.
Her 11-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, said she saw a man hit the ground after falling out of the ride, called the "Sizzler."
"I saw him about a foot off the ground and land on his face," Elizabeth said. "There were like 5-year-olds who had to see that and I feel bad for them."
Police Chief Wayne Sampson said two men were taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center. He said one of the men died at the hospital and the other is in serious condition. A third person sustained minor injuries and did not require hospitalization, Sampson said.
Sampson would not identify the victims or name the carnival ride operators.
The parish pastor, the Rev. Paul O'Connell, would not answer questions about the incident. "I ask that you help all of us here at Saint Mary's with your prayers," he said.
The ride has three rotating arms, each carrying four rotating sets of two-seat cars in the design of classic 1950s automobiles. The ride is about three feet off the ground and parishioners said it does not lift into the air.
One of the cars was visibly damaged, and wreckage could be seen on the ground.
"It was a terrible tragedy," said Lynda Lopriore, 52, who saw the injured being treated at the Saint Mary's Family Festival, which has been held at the church for years.
Shrewsbury is about 40 miles west of Boston.
AP-ES-09-19-04 1817EDT
one wet and cold, one dead in a joy ride over Bridge ?
I've never been on, or seen, a carnival ride that didn't have seat belts.
Bush's fault
Yeah...that'll help.
Doesn't sound like seatbelts would have helped if the car fell apart.
Appears similar to "Scrambler." No seat belt, but a bar. From the story, it sounds as though the machine broke and dumped some occupants.
Sad story, prayers going up for all affected.
Holy cow...isn't this where you are?
Prayers for all involved...
I don't know, but it seems more likely that connections between the cars and the central unit "fell apart," rather than a single car. In that case, 3 feet off the ground, you'd just get bruises wearing a seat belt.
The right prayers from the right people can indeed have tremendous power.
Just my opinion of course.
Good image.
Thank you.
better image where be the people ?
Excellent call...as a matter of fact, I know spinmiesters working on a story to blame President Bush for causing the last 3 hurricanes to strike his brother's state in order to garner the enormous federal aid available...
It's obvious Bush has the power and inclination to divert these storms, (according to Bill Burkett and Dan Rather),
and has done so in a politically motivated manner!
Maybe, maybe not. This ride seems to have some problems.
Aug. 15th, 2004 -- The Italian Festival at the Holy Rosary Church in Ansonia, Connecticut was marred when a ride named The Sizzler wounded a woman who was riding it with her children.Witnesses say that a footrest on one of the ride's cars caught the ride platform, causing it to come off and hit an unidentified woman who was riding in one of the other cars. The exact injury is unknown, but the woman's mouth was bleeding and she was holding her jaw when she was taken to a nearby hospital. Authorities are still investigating the accident. The Sizzler was shut down, but the carnival stayed open.For more on this story, see WFSB.com.
Okay, I'm wrong :-). Dreadful for these people and their parish.
Dreadful indeed. A happy day, turned into a tragedy. I can't imagine the hurt the families are feeling.
You might be right on the failure mode. I was just cruising google with "sizzler" and "carnival" and came across that. It looks like a "little kids" ride, a pint-size version of "The Scrambler."
Just reminds us that everything in life can't be made safe.
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