As the investigation into the death of Tyre Sampson continues, an autopsy has revealed that he was 97 pounds over the amusement park ride weight limit.
Sampson fell hundreds of feet to his death in March while riding the Orlando FreeFall drop tower at ICON Park. The 14-year-old was captured on video slipping out of the ride restraints and falling onto the pavement. At the time of his death, Sampson weighed 383 pounds and was six feet tall. The weight limit for the ride was 286 pounds.
The autopsy also revealed the horrific extent of the teenager’s fatal injuries. Sampson passed away from blunt force trauma, sustaining numerous fractures to his face, ribs, skull, and legs. He also suffered lacerations to his face, stomach, arms, and feet.
“No one could have survived this preventable fall from over a hundred feet in the air at that speed,” said Michael Haggard, an attorney representing Sampson’s mother, Nekia Dodd. “The negligence, in this case, is unrebuttable.”
In April, the Sampson family filed a 65-page lawsuit against ICON Park, the Slingshot Group, and FreeFall’s manufacturer Funtime Handels. The suit also included Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, the manufacturer of the ride’s seats and harnesses. The family says the ride was “unreasonably dangerous.”
