Teen killed in Ohio State Fair accident joined Marines DAYS before his death

A teenager killed on a ride at the Ohio State Fair had enlisted in the Marines just five days before his death, CBS News has reported.

Tyler Jarrell, 18, was set to finish high school and then join the military agency in June 2018, after graduation, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The teen planned to be in the infantry or serve as a combat engineer, according to a statement by the Marines.

“We are truly proud to have known him as one of the brave few willing to step up and serve his country in the United States Marine Corps,” the statement read.

As Crime Online previously reported, one person was killed and seven were injured Wednesday night at the Ohio State Fair when a ride fell apart during use, with a row dislodging in mid-air.

Jarrell died after being thrown 50 feet away from the ride, officials have said.

These officials have also revealed the names of the other fairgoers hurt in Wednesday’s accident: Tamika Dunlap, 36, Jacob Andrews, 22, Russell Franks, 42, Jennifer Lambert, 18, and Abdihakim Hussein, 19. A 14-year-old boy is having his name withheld due to his age.

Jarell’s girlfriend, Keziah Lewis, 19, was also severely injured on the Fire Ball ride. The 19-year-old’s mother, Clarrisa Williams, told The Columbus Dispatch that Lewis hurt her pelvis, ankle, and ribs. She has already undergone two surgeries a third is scheduled for Friday. Lewis, who remains hospitalized, had no memory of the accident.

“She [Lewis] kept asking for her boyfriend,” Williams said. “I had to tell her he was the one who was deceased.”

Amusements of America, the company that provides the rides to the Columbus-based fair, characterizes the Fire Ball as an “aggressive thrill ride” on their website. The attraction, unveiled in 2002, takes riders 40 feet in the air while simultaneously spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.

“Our hearts are heavy for the families of those involved in last night’s tragic accident,” fair officials said in a Twitter post on Thursday. “We have shut down all rides until the state has inspected each and every ride again and deemed them to be safe.”

Fair is open & activities on as scheduled. Rides are closed & undergoing safety inspections. Our thoughts continue to be w/ those impacted.

— Ohio State Fair (@OhioStateFair) July 27, 2017

Rides at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California and four other state amusement parks have closed similar rides in light of Wednesday’s incident. According to The Mercury News, the request came from Cal-OSHA, the agency responsible for ensuring the safety of such rides. Additionally, KMG, the Dutch manufacturer of the Fire Ball, ordered the rides to be shut down worldwide.

Records indicate that inspections were current and a state permit was recently issued for the ride in question.

The 71 rides at the Ohio State Fair remain closed as an investigation continues.

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