Amusement Park Shut Down after Accident That Left Boy Injured
An Indiana amusement park, which was the scene of an accident last week that left a five-year-old boy critically injured, has been shut down for not having the required permit.
The accident occurred when little Denzel Jennings was riding the Mini Teacups ride. The ride involves several round seats in the shape of teacups, rotating around a central axis.. Each individual teacup has a gate to prevent riders from falling out. Denzel apparently hit his head and fell out of the ride. He was knocked unconscious, and was rushed to the hospital. He continues to remain in a critical condition. There is no information about how Denzel hit his head or fell off.
The indoor amusement park where the accident occurred is the Xscape center at the Lafayette Sq. Mall. The accident comes under the purview of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which is the agency responsible for inspecting amusement park rides. The agency says it should have been notified of the accident with four hours of the accident taking place, but it was not.
Department of Homeland Security officers have already inspected the ride. According to the agency, Xscape did not have a permit for amusement and entertainment activities. Besides, Xscape permits for rides had expired at the end of 2009 and had not been renewed.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is also conducting its own investigation into the accident.
As Indiana injury lawyers see, most amusement park accidents occur because of negligence of owners and operators. The problem in Indiana and across several states is that oversight of these amusement centers can be shaky, and it's not uncommon to find amusement parks going without inspections for years altogether. In the absence of such inspections, safety flaws can continue to exist, undetected and uncorrected. The result can be an accident like the one that injured little Denzel here.
Besides operator negligence, very often ride operators may be at fault for failing to secure rides probably, and failing to inform customers of the right way to enjoy the ride.
