ORLANDO, Fla. – An autopsy says a Missouri teenager died of blunt force trauma after falling from a 430-foot Central Florida drop-tower amusement park ride.
The report Monday by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office also ruled that 14-year-old Tyre Sampson’s death in March was an accident.
Recommended Videos
Sampson slipped out of his seat about halfway down the Free Fall ride located in a tourist area of Orlando. The ride, which has been shut down indefinitely, is the world’s tallest free fall amusement park ride.
The autopsy also showed that Sampson, who played football in the St. Louis area, weighed 383 pounds when he died.
Sampson was in Orlando with a friend’s family for vacation.
An initial probe found sensors were adjusted manually to double the size of restraints on his seat.
Sampson’s parents have since sued the ride’s owner, manufacturer and landlord, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride.
The lawsuit was filed in April in state court in Orlando.
It says that the defendants failed to warn their son about the risks of going on the ride and didn’t provide an appropriate restraint system on the ride.