Girl thrown from ride at Indiana county fair, witnesses say. ‘She went headfirst’

A young girl was thrown from a ride at an Indiana county fair, witnesses say, prompting an investigation and the removal of all rides.

The incident happened Monday, July 15, on the first day of the Dubois County 4-H Fair in Huntingburg and left the young rider injured, according to those who were on the ride with her.

“The girl right next to me flew out,” Anna Deorto said in a Facebook post. “I was holding tight to the bar in (the) middle screaming, ‘ Stop the ride she fell out ,’ saying that multiple times before them finally stopping the ride. We went around at least 3 times before they finally stopped the ride.”

Deorto told WFIE the rider “went headfirst” from the ride, which she described as being able to maneuver upside down.

“Her body just like, went, falling through with her head,” she told the station, adding that she told the operator the girl’s seat belt was not latched.

Christina Marie, who was at the fair with kids who were on the ride with the victim, said the girl was taken to a hospital with possible head and elbow injuries.

She said the ride operator resumed the ride after the incident.

David Hosick with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security told WEHT the “Rock and Roll” ride was not properly secured . He said the ride had multiple violations.

“I do not have a list of those specific violations yet; however, the ride was ordered closed and is not permitted to operate in Indiana until the repairs are made,” he told the Dubois County Free Press. “The owner has 30 days to comply, and the ride cannot be put back into service until it passes a compliance inspection by IDHS.”

All rides have now been removed from the fair — scheduled to run through July 20 — for the remainder of the week, officials said.

“We are doing our best to keep the community safe and make the fair the best we can for all involved,” Dubois County Fairgrounds posted on Facebook. “Thank you for understanding and patience as we handle this situation.”

Huntingburg is about a 75-mile drive west from Louisville, Kentucky.

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