The mother of the teenager that fell to his death on an amusement park ride, Tyre Sampson, has reached a settlement in a wrong death lawsuit.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Michael Haggard, the attorney representing Tyre Sampson’s mother Nekia Dodd, announced that she reached a settlement with ICON Park, and Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot. Although the terms of the settlement were not discussed, Dodd expressed her desire to utilize the settlement to support community sports and schools as a means of preserving her son’s legacy.
Last year, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson attended ICON Park while enjoying his spring break vacation. Unfortunately, Sampson lost his life when he fell over 100 feet after slipping out of his seat while riding the Orlando FreeFall. Shortly after, the ride operator closed the attraction following Sampson’s tragic death.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Dodd said. “The ride is coming down, and I’m thankful for that. But my son’s not coming back. My son took his last breath on this ride. So it’s hard. It’s heartbreaking.”
In addition, ICON Park also gave a statement regarding the dismantle of the ride.
“While the FreeFall ride is not owned and was not controlled or operated by ICON Park, because it is a tenant on the property, we agree with the owner’s decision to dismantle the ride and our hearts are with the family as they witness this important milestone,” the statement said.
Nevertheless, a Florida bill titled “The Tyre Sampson Act” was introduced following the incident, that aims to protect amusement park riders with stricter safety regulations.
