The mother of a 14-year-old Missouri boy who died after slipping off a free-fall ride at a Florida amusement park last year has settled a wrongful-death lawsuit with the park and ride operator, her lawyer announced Wednesday.
Tire Sampson died on March 24, 2022, after falling from his seat on the 400-foot ride at Icon Park in Orlando, where he was visiting with his football team for spring break.
He fell at least 100 feet onto the hard pavement of the ride, which was not wearing seat belts, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed a month after his death.
Tire’s mother, Nekia Dodd, visited the amusement park for the first time since her son’s death on Wednesday to watch the towering ride being dismantled.
“I went down today, it’s my first time in Florida. I hate to have had to go down under these circumstances. It is a bittersweet moment. The trip is going down, I am grateful for that, but my son will not return, ”she told reporters.
“My son took his last breath on this trip. He is heartbreaking, he is devastating. It’s a feeling that I hope no parent has to go through after he finishes this journey,” he said, with Tire’s sister and cousin by his side.
Orlando Slightshot announced that the Free Fall attraction would be retired last year, and the decommissioning process began this week.
His attorney, Michael Haggard, said during the news conference that an agreement has been reached between Dodd, Icon Park and Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot, owner of the Free Fall attraction.
He said that despite reaching an agreement with the operator of the park and the attraction, the case continues against the manufacturer of the attraction.
«The case is not over. This death trap was made by FunTime, which resides outside of Austria, which is not under the jurisdiction of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, it is not under the jurisdiction of the US. USA, except in this court case.» Haggard said, referring to Funtime Handels GmbH, the Austrian company that designed and manufactured the ride, and was also named in the wrongful death lawsuit.
Dodd said he would use the agreement «to keep my son’s legacy alive» and support schools and sports programs.
A spokesman for Haggard’s law office said details of the settlement will not be released at this time. NBC News has reached out to Slingshot for further comment on the deal.
Icon Park said in a statement: «With the utmost respect to the family, we refer any questions regarding this matter to the family.»
The park said it supports proposed legislation to make passenger safety more robust and agreed with the attraction owner’s decision to dismantle it.
«Our hearts go out to the family as they witness this important milestone,» the park said.
Tire’s death drew national attention and cast new scrutiny on amusement park rides and their safety measures.
He suffered broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, according to his autopsy, and his death was ruled accidental. He weighed 383 pounds, according to the autopsy, over the driving limit of about 285 pounds.
Haggard also championed the Tire Sampson Act, a Florida bill that seeks to add safety standards to amusement park rides, which Dodd hopes will ensure rides taller than 100 feet have seat belts and harnesses. On Monday, the Florida Senate Committee on Agriculture unanimously approved the bill.