The only ride I ride at the fair is the zipper and thats only because my fiance insists on doing that every year. Everytime I just assume I am going to die.

10/28/2013 7:59:39 AM

http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/293357/175/Rider-Falls-From-Zipper-Ride-At-Montana-State-Fair

10/28/2013 8:50:59 AM

NC is pretty tight on fair rides, and considering the volume of people on rides at the fair, it has always had a good safety record. It sounds like there would have been no problem if the guy hadn't bypassed the safety switches, and they are looking to make an example out of him.

10/28/2013 8:57:10 AM

ya he's def a scapegoat. If they can get a conviction against him, makes a lot easier case to avoid lawsuits down the road.

10/28/2013 9:07:24 AM

the talk about "more impending arrests" leads me to believe that the ride had some safety mechanism that was bypassed because they wanted to keep the ride going to generate money and that whoever was in charge of the ride, knew this and told all the operators to keep it going

so now i highly doubt the operator "maliciously intended" to harm anyone

the safety mechanism breaking down either happened between inspections or they simply lied to the inspectors that everything was working and the inspector missed it

witnesses did notice the safety bar not working that day, but the cause of the accident was the ride started up again so not sure how the two are related.....although i read somewhere that another witness said the operator himself accidentally started the ride too early

[Edited on October 28, 2013 at 12:03 PM. Reason : k]

10/28/2013 12:01:30 PM

Quote :

""We're comforted to have some answers as to why the accident occurred and why those people were injured," state fair spokesman Brian Long said Saturday night. "But we're also upset that it appears someone tampered with a ride in order to hurt people.""

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-nc-fair-operator-arrested-vortex-20131026,0,6869626.story#axzz2j1ye0WVC

Quote :

"Although an ABC investigation appears to show major operational issues with the Vortex ride, police say they've found evidence that the accident was deliberate."

http://gawker.com/carnival-operator-deliberately-injured-roller-coaster-r-1452931199

10/28/2013 1:15:38 PM

Bad fair for rides named Vortex. A worker was injured while dismantling the other one last night.

10/28/2013 1:44:45 PM

^^i have to wonder if that's just journalistic "sensationalism". The guy might of deliberately and intentionally tampered with the safety device. But he didn't deliberately do it to intentionally harm people. Or at least, that's my guess. We'll see.

10/28/2013 1:50:28 PM

^ I am not inclined to believe that either

10/28/2013 1:51:45 PM

Quote :

"Bad fair for rides named Vortex. A worker was injured while dismantling the other one last night"

This probably wouldn't have even made the news if not for the earlier accident.

NOTE TO SELF: Never riding any ride call the Vortex.

10/28/2013 1:58:33 PM

Quote :

"i have to wonder if that's just journalistic "sensationalism". The guy might of deliberately and intentionally tampered with the safety device. But he didn't deliberately do it to intentionally harm people. Or at least, that's my guess. We'll see."

I have to agree with you.

Quote :

"police say they've found evidence that the accident was deliberate. “Through our investigation, talking to witnesses, talking to ride operator, we have determined that this ride was tampered with … and that critical safety devices were tampered with and compromised,” Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison told NBC."

I can't find the police saying the accident itself was deliberate, just that the device was tampered with, with no mention of intent. This wouldn't be the first time Gawker has exaggerated a story (especially the title) for page views. The comments point this out...

And I can only assume the fair spokesman who said "But we're also upset that it appears someone tampered with a ride in order to hurt people" misspoke.

Quote :

"This probably wouldn't have even made the news if not for the earlier accident."

I'd bet it would...

Quote :

"In 2004, a worker was injured when a section of a ride fell on him as crews were dismantling it."

10/28/2013 2:15:02 PM

I, too, wonder about the intent part. Thought I saw/read somewhere something about the guy may have been trying to get back at the operator by killing their revenue stream. Something like this would certainly do it, though if that was the case he was probably just trying to bump/knock down some people to shut down the ride and not critically injure or kill them. Unless he's a guy who gets some kicks out of watching people get hurt.

10/28/2013 2:30:01 PM

Radio just said some dude got arrested for taking pics if boys in the restroom

10/28/2013 3:33:42 PM

someone posted that thread last year

10/28/2013 3:44:20 PM

lets see, just in the past few days at the State Fair:

1) People thrown off Vortex, operated arrested and charged
2) State Fair derby driver injured when car flips
3) State Fair worker injured as ride (different Vortex) disassembled
4) Man charged with photographing boys in State Fair restroom

What's next?!

10/28/2013 3:58:47 PM

eh, shit always happens at the fair... or any large gathering of people. particularly if they're rednecks.

10/28/2013 4:05:05 PM

Quote :

"What's next?!"

nothing, the fair's over.

10/28/2013 4:09:04 PM

Quote :

"4) Man charged with photographing boys in State Fair restroom"

Rack focus or no?

10/28/2013 4:29:32 PM

Quote :

"nothing, the fair's over."

The last two stories broke today, after the fair was over.

10/28/2013 4:33:22 PM

I'm thinking penis focus since it was boys restroom

10/28/2013 4:35:27 PM

They should just call it the un-fair at this point.

10/28/2013 5:17:37 PM

BAN VORTICIES

10/28/2013 6:15:52 PM

HELLO

11/5/2013 9:37:08 PM

nice bump

11/5/2013 11:23:12 PM

[Edited on November 5, 2013 at 11:23 PM. Reason : for real]

11/5/2013 11:23:12 PM

Quote :

"The only ride I ride at the fair is the zipper and thats only because my fiance insists on doing that every year. Everytime I just assume I am going to die."

I've never found anything at the fair that is close to being as much fun as the zipper, but it's probably been 7 years since I've even been.

As a kid they started the ride and my car did exactly one flip before they stopped it. They lowered the car that my friend and I were riding in back to the bottom and the ride operator re-latched the door and started the ride again. Lots of WTF.

11/6/2013 10:21:56 AM

^^i am genuinely interested in updates! and didn't find anything of value with a quick google. I also don't live in NC or have any ties there so I thought maybe you guys had something to post

11/6/2013 6:09:47 PM

Quote :

"RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County sheriff's investigators issued arrest warrants Wednesday for the owner of a fair ride that they believe had been tampered with when five people were seriously injured at the North Carolina State Fair last month. Joshua Gene Macaroni, 32, is charged with two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and one count of felony assault on a juvenile with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury in the Oct. 24 incident involving The Vortex. He was not in custody early Wednesday evening, authorities said in a news release. They declined to comment further. Known for its wild twirls and flips, The Vortex had stopped and people were getting off when it started moving again, dropping some unsecured passengers 20 feet or so onto the metal floor. Three of the people – Anthony Gorham, 29, Kisha Gorham, 39, and a 14-year-old – were still in a local hospital Wednesday, although their medical conditions were not being released. The Vortex is run by Family Attractions Amusement Co. in Valdosta, Ga., but is owned by Macaroni, the son of the company's founder. Authorities haven't said what led investigators to charge Macaroni, but Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said last week that, after inspecting the ride, investigators determined that a safety mechanism designed to keep the ride from moving when the restraint bars weren't locked in place had been disabled. People close to the investigation said that the tampering wasn't malicious but was only a shortcut to make the process of getting people on and off the ride easier. Two days after the incident, The Vortex's ride operator Timothy Dwayne Tutterrow, 46, of Quitman, Ga., was arrested on three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Tutterrow, who was still in the Wake County Detention Center Wednesday under a $225,000 bond, accompanied investigators to the State Fairgrounds last week and appeared to be trying to help them as they examined the Vortex. His attorney, Roger Smith Jr., hasn't commented on the charges but has said that his client is devastated about what happened."

11/6/2013 6:22:52 PM

11/7/2013 9:25:14 AM

^^^ my bad, b.

11/7/2013 9:55:42 AM

http://www.wral.com/warrant-vortex-owner-knew-of-safety-issue-prior-to-state-fair-injuries/13285493/

First, people are injured on TWO different rides called the Vortex.... then the polar vortex wreaked havoc.

1/9/2014 12:25:33 PM

GET TO THE CHOPPA WOLF WEB

1/9/2014 2:07:50 PM

I was at the fair grounds the other week and they had the ride still there and taped off. There is a police SUV there watching it 24/7

1/9/2014 2:07:56 PM

It is the state fairgrounds police, they would be sitting in the office chilling if they werent on duty sitting in that white explorer.

1/14/2014 10:55:22 AM

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9401966

Vortex ride finally leaves North Carolina State Fairgrounds

1/21/2014 1:57:51 PM