G Force Ride at Knott's Berry Farm And County Fair Shut Down Following Fatality

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — The G Force ride at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa and a similar attraction at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park are among six rides statewide that were voluntarily shut down by operators Thursday in the wake of a fatal accident at the Ohio State Fair, the California Department of Industrial Relations announced Thursday.

An 18-year-old man was killed Wednesday and seven others were hurt, three critically, when the Fire Ball ride broke apart in mid-air in Columbus, Ohio.

Cal/OSHA's Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit said the rides will not operate until they're inspected by agency officials, or until further word is received from manufacturers KMG of The Netherlands and Chance Rides of Wichita, Kansas.

Other affected rides are at Belmont Park in San Diego, the Cal Expo State Fair in Sacramento, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Great America amusement park in Santa Clara.

Terry Moore, a spokeswoman for the OC Fair, said KMG is also the manufacturer of the G Force ride.

"We took the ride through a thorough inspection through the night and this morning, but now we're waiting word from the state and the ride's manufacturer," she said.

The OC Fair has had the ride in the past, but has never had any issues with it, Moore said.

"We just shut it down in an abundance of caution," she said. "We're in no rush to reopen the ride."

City News Service

Photo credit: Jim Woods/The Columbus Dispatch via AP