NJ ride company at center of deadly Ohio Fair tragedy

Tragedy at the Ohio State Fair hit too close to home, with a New Jersey based company at the center of a fatal ride accident.  Fair goers in Columbus, Ohio watched in horror Wednesday night, as a thrill ride broke apart in mid-air, killing one person and injuring seven others, some critically. Amusements of America, out of Monroe Township, is undergoing new ride inspections at the scene under the directive of Ohio Governor, John Kasich.

There are no New Jersey fairs on the company's remaining schedule this year.

Inspectors say nothing was out of the ordinary when they cleared the Fire Ball for passengers. Cell phone video of the tragic moment is part of the active investigation

Amusements of America has a Go-Pro style video of the Fire Ball, under normal operations online:

The wildly swinging, popular ride has been featured at Jersey fairs in the past. It's manufactured by Dutch company, KMG. A Fire Ball description online says the ride first debuted in 2002, reaching heights of up to "40 feet above the midway'" while spinning riders at "13 revolutions per minute."

The Ohio State Fair announced plans to reopen its gates Thursday morning, with no rides until re-inspections were completed.

Proud Jersey Girl Erin Vogt’s first reporting gig involved her Fisher Price tape recorder. As a wife and momma of two kiddies, she firmly believes that life’s too short to drink bad coffee.  A fan of the beach, Dave Grohl and karma, in no particular order.

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