“Every county fair has to go through a state inspection. They have a state inspector come around and inspects every ride,” Tim Perk. President of the Champaign County Fair, said.
Inspections were done before the fair opened Perk said after rides were set up and operational. There has been no history of ride accidents to date at the county fair.
On Wednesday, July 26, a ride malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. An 18-year-old man was killed and seven people were injured when the swinging and spinning Fire Ball ride broke apart. Four people are still in the hospital as of Friday. One remains in a coma.
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A co-owner of the company that provides rides at the fair in Columbus has said he’s certain the ride fell apart because of a mechanical problem. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. The Dutch manufacturer has ordered ride operators worldwide to cease operations of the amusement park ride.
Logan County resident Katie Furr was present with her family on Champaign’s opening day. Her only concern she said is the rain but she said her husband has other fears.
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“My husband lectured me before we left the house today about being safe on the rides,” Furr said.
Her children come every year with family.
“I feel confident they would check their rides after everything that’s going on,” Furr said.
Champaign County Fair Pork Princess Grace Forest said the fair remains a safe place to be.
Her family does attend the state fair but they only go to show their animals. They typically don’t ride rides there but they do at the Champaign County Fair, she said.
“I feel safe about these rides. I think that the carney’s look over them well and ensure our safety,” Forest said.
Her family has 12 pigs at the local fair. There have never been problems she knows of at the fair before and she doesn’t think there will be any in the future.
“We have good rules here ensure health and safety throughout our barns,” Forest said.
Nothing has happened so far, Perk said, and he hopes it stays that way.
“We work with Ohio Department of Agriculture to handle it if it does come up,” Perk said.
The eight-day fair will end Friday, August 11.
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