Did Tyre Sampson parents sue?

ORLANDO, Fla. — Standing in front of the Orlando Free Fall drop tower where her 14-year-old son Tyre Sampson lost his life nearly a year ago, Nekia Dodd and her lawyer announced Wednesday they had reached a settlement with ride owner Orlando Slingshot and landlord ICON Park in the civil lawsuit over Tyre's death.



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As part of a settlement, Orlando Slingshot paid a $250,000 fine to FDACS and has agreed to never again operate the drop tower in Florida and will not reapply for a permit to do so in the future. It has been the wish of Sampson's parents to have the Orlando FreeFall taken down.

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Standing in front of the Orlando Free Fall drop tower where her 14-year-old son Tyre Sampson lost his life nearly a year ago, Nekia Dodd and her lawyer announced Wednesday they had reached a settlement with ride owner Orlando Slingshot and landlord ICON Park in the civil lawsuit over Tyre's death.

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Tyre's death garnered national attention and cast new scrutiny on amusement park rides and their safety measures. He suffered broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, according to his autopsy, and his death was ruled accidental. Tyre weighed 383 pounds, per the autopsy, above the ride limit of about 285 pounds.

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Sampson's death was ruled an accident by the medical examiner. He suffered extensive injuries, including a fractured jaw, a broken arm, a broken leg and fractures of a number of ribs. A routine drug screen was done and it was negative for the presence of drugs.

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Identified only as Ivan, he was the source of the gruesome video that showed 14-year-old Tyre Sampson's fall from the thrill ride. That very same video circulated widely following Sampson's death, getting to Sampson's father before official news of his passing.

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Tyre Sampson, 14, 'knew something was wrong with his harness and was freaking out' before Icon theme park fall, dad says. THE dad of a teen boy who died falling from a theme park ride said his son knew his safety harness was not fitted right.

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ORLANDO, Fla. The body is that of well-developed, obese, 74 inch, 383 pound, black male, appearing older than the reported age of 14 years, the medical examiner's reports state.

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Nekia Dodd, the mother of Tyre Sampson, visited ICON Park for the first time since her son's deadly fall from the Orlando FreeFall ride. Her visit comes as crews are working to tear the ride down ahead of the one-year anniversary of his death.

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An operations manual published by the Orlando Free Fall ride's manufacturer lists the weight limit as 130 kg, or about 287 pounds—meaning Sampson exceeded the maximum passenger weight by nearly 100 pounds.

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The Orlando FreeFall drop tower in ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, is pictured on March 28, 2022. The owner's manual for the tower lists the ride's weight limit at 287 pounds. Tyre was just over 6 feet tall and weighed 383 pounds, according to the autopsy report.

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