Two days after the ride malfunction that took the life of an 18-year-old at the Ohio State Fair, his family has retained a Columbus-based law firm and will file a wrongful death suit.
The family of Tyler Jarrell has turned to the law firm Kitrick, Lewis, & Harris to investigate the incident and handle the wrongful death case.
In a release sent on Friday afternoon, the firm announced that they have retained the professional services of Introtech to investigate and reconstruct the tragic incident and determine how and why it happened. The investigators will work with the State Highway patrol, the Department of Agriculture, the State of Ohio, the City of Columbus, and any other agencies involved to ensure that the evidence is preserved and the incident is fully examined and explained.
“Everyone who knew Tyler is grief-stricken and in shock,” said Tyler’s mother, Amber Duffield. “We just need to know how and why this happened, and whether it could have been avoided. We hope our demand for real answers will save others from being hurt or killed because of bad or dangerous amusement park rides.”
Tyler Jarrell had just joined the U.S. Marine Corps in the week before the accident. He had also served as a quartermasters with the Columbus Police Department's Explorer's Club.
“Tyler was a good young man, with a bright future ahead of him,” said attorney Mark Kitrick in the statement. “This was a senseless, tragic incident that likely could have been avoided. Our only goal in filing a wrongful death suit is to obtain justice for Tyler.”
Gov. John Kasich ordered all rides at the State Fair shut down after the malfunction on the ride called "Fire Ball" killed Jarrell and injured seven others. Officials say the ride had been inspected more than once prior to the crash.
KMG, the Dutch company that makes the "Fire Ball," ordered all such rides shut down across the world until an investigation could be completed.
WKYC Channel 3 Consumer Investigator Danielle Serino uncovered an alarming document from KMG in 2007, an Urgent Service Bulletin that revealed structural flaws in the ride that needed to be fixed immediately.
The Associated Press contributed to this report