Columbia County teens charged after fair ride chaos
Deputies say two 13-year-olds deliberately grabbed each other on a swing ride, causing a collision that injured a woman and two children.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
Grove town, Georgia, is a small county seat where the annual fair draws families from across the region. On Monday, two 13-year-olds were charged with causing a swing ride to operate erratically, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies stated that the riders had received specific warnings to avoid holding onto one another while the machinery was in motion. Footage captured by local resident Kristen Murphy shows the ride becoming unstable as it decelerated. In the video, two riders in adjacent seats appear to be grasping each other. Several swings collided during the incident, injuring one adult woman who was transported to a hospital in an ambulance. Two children sustained minor injuries and were treated on site.
Murphy, whose children were aboard the ride, described the moment she realized trouble was brewing. She approached the control area while the ride was still moving. “This ride has to stop,” Murphy said. “My kids are on it. Something’s happening. I need to get to them.” Other parents assisted her husband in slowing the mechanism to a halt. Once the ride stopped, Murphy reached her children and assessed their injuries.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that the two teenagers were issued paperwork detailing the charges. Both minors were permitted to depart the fairgrounds with their parents after the incident was processed. The ride was taken out of service following the collision.
The next scheduled step is a court hearing where the formal charges will be presented. No date for that hearing was immediately available. The fairgrounds remained open to the public for the remainder of the event.
