Saturday evening a young woman died after being thrown from an attraction at a funfair in Blois. On Monday, the fairground man who runs the ride was indicted for “involuntary manslaughter and endangering the lives of others”, announced the prosecution.
According to the first elements of the investigation, the victim, aged 27, was ejected on Saturday evening due to the opening of a safety barrier on the “pinball machine” ride, said the public prosecutor of Blois, Charlotte Beluet, in a press release sent Monday evening.
The manager and owner of the ride, a 28-year-old man, was taken into police custody. Late Monday, he was indicted for manslaughter through a clearly deliberate violation of a duty of care as well as for endangering the lives of others, the magistrate said. The fairground was placed under judicial control with a ban on carrying out his professional activity.
Thrown onto the trailer of a truck
The victim’s companion, who was sitting next to him in the ride, said she had the “impression” that the safety barrier was “incorrectly engaged”, but the passage of the manager had reassured her, indicates Charlotte Beluet. However, “with the speed, the safety bar opened, which seemed to be confirmed by the video of a third party, and his companion was then ejected from the moving ride,” explains the prosecutor.
Learn more about this ride accident
Thrown onto the trailer of a truck, the victim, originally from Blois, fell heavily to the ground, before dying in the city hospital as a result of his injuries. The manager explained that he acquired the ride three years ago and that he had never experienced a “malfunction” since. The ride was placed under seal for expertise. It had received the necessary approvals and had been verified by an approved body before the opening of the funfair, which was due to close on Sunday. The young woman’s family filed a complaint against X for “involuntary manslaughter”.