Two Teens Injured In Carnival Ride Accident

A Texas carnival ride sent two El Paso teenagers to a nearby hospital Sunday night after an accident occurred on the ride.

About the El Paso Carnival Accident

According to KVUE, the accident occurred at the Saint Anthony Seminary’s Annual Bazaar when two teenagers fell 12 feet off of a ride called the “Sidewinder.”

An update done by the El Paso Times, says the accident took place around 10 p.m. Sunday and that both teens, a boy and girl, both 13, were thrown from the seat as the door of the ride fell open.

Witnesses at the scene said that a ride operator had failed to shut the ride’s door and another said that the teens were not wearing seatbelts.

The accident is still under investigation.

Statistics on Carnival Ride Accidents

The following information is from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

• In 2004, mobile amusement rides accounted for approximately 2,500 non-occupational injuries.
• Inflatable ride injuries have experienced a significant upward trend from 1997 to 2004.
• In 2004, inflatable rides, such as inflatable slides and bounces, accounted for approximately 4,900 non-occupational injuries.
  • There were four fatalities associated with inflatable amusement park rides from 2002 and 2005.
• From 1987 to 2002, there were 57 reported non-occupational fatalities from mobile and fixed-site rides combined.