Photo Courtesy of Molly Duerig / Twitter
Orlando ICON Park reached a settlement with the mother of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who died last year due to falling from the Orlando FreeFall ride, according to Fox 35.
During a press conference in front of the ride, which is set to be demolished, Nekia Dodd told reporters what it was like standing in front of the ride that killed her son.
“It’s breathtaking, and it’s not in a good way,” Dodd responded. “My son took his last breath on this ride, so it’s heartbreaking, devastating, it’s a feeling I hope no other parent will ever have to go through after this ride comes down. When he passed, I wasn’t there for him.”
Without specifying the settlement amount, Dodd said that the money would go toward keeping her son’s legacy alive, to the community, sports clubs and schooling.
As News Onyx reported, Sampson fell to his death on March 24, 2022, while riding the Free Fall roller coaster, which should’ve never happened had the weight requirement been
followed. Sampson, 350 pounds, rode on a ride with a 287-pound requirement. Additionally, the workers failed to strap him in properly.Negligence led the young boy to die. The settlement doesn’t compensate for the tragic loss.