An autopsy found that the 14-year-old boy who fell from an Orlando amusement park ride in March died from blunt force trauma, and a lawyer who represents the family says he was almost 100 pounds over the ride’s weight limit.
Tyre Sampson’s autopsy found he sustained a number of severe injuries, including “a broken arm, a broken leg, a fractured jaw and several fractured ribs,” after falling in excess of 70 feet from ICON Park’s Orlando Free Fall ride and crashing to the ground, WFLA reported.
The autopsy, which ruled Sampson’s death an accident, also shed light on his physical size, stating he was “obese” at 383 pounds while standing at 6’2, WOFL noted. It added that he appeared “older than the reported age of 14 years.”
Kim Wald, an attorney with the Haggard Law Firm, told WOFL that Sampson was close to 100 pounds over the attraction’s weight limit, adding that “he should never have been on that ride.”
“He should have been able to attend his 8th-grade graduation last week,” she continued. “This is just one more piece of the puzzle moving forward for us in the case.”
Sampson, a football player from St. Louis, Missouri, was in Orlando on a trip with teammates when the deadly accident occurred, his father, Yarnell Sampson, previously told WOFL. He stated that his son was denied entry to other rides but was allowed on the drop tower.
“This one particular ride said, ‘We can take you, come on! Get on!’ No one else allowed him to get on the ride, so I’m wondering what happened between now and then that made them say, ‘Come on, get this ride!” Sampson explained.
“An initial report by outside engineers hired by the Florida Department of Agriculture said sensors on the ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in Sampson not being properly secured,” the Associated Press noted.
The family has filed a 65-page lawsuit against ICON Park, the Slingshot Group, which owns and operates the ride, and the ride’s manufacturer Funtime Handles GMBH.