Local fairgoers uneasy after deadly Ohio ride incident

By John Krinjak

@johnkrinjak

jkrinjak@abc6.com

PAWTUCKET, RI (WLNE) – The Carnival at McCoy gets underway at Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium at 6PM Thursday. Officials with Rockwell Amusements, which operates the fair, say all the rides are safe and inspected, but some folks we talk to say they’ll likely be forgo those thrills. 

"I mean it’s crazy. It’s scary but it happens, said Mackayla Case of Pawtucket.

Folks in Pawtucket are gearing up for four days of family fun–but some spirits may be dampened by Wednesday night’s deadly ride incident in Ohio. 

"Literally we were just talking about that walking past over there. Because it’s crazy that you can die on such a simple ride, or even get hurt. It’s crazy," said Mackayla Case. 

Officials with Rockwell Amusements, which operates the carnival, say a state inspector was on site Thursday morning to check everything over, and Rhode Island law mandates each individual ride be thoroughly inspected–by licensed inspectors like Oliver Barrette. 

"I have a book to go with me, and make sure their reports are up to date, any injuries they have–they have to have it listed. I have to check all that out and check the ride over totally. Everything that’s broken, by sight you can see."

Barrette stresses incidents like the one in Ohio are rare–and here in Rhode Island inspectors have the authority to shut a ride down if there’s any concern about safety. 

But some say they’re still reluctant to hop on. 

"I don’t think so. I’ve seen it happening more and more around the world, through the years we’ve seen it happen," said Eddie Case of Pawtucket.

If you’d like to learn more about the standards the state uses to inspect rides, visit http://www.ribcc.ri.gov/amusement/.

The carnival is open until 10PM Thursday and it runs through Sunday. 

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