Nearly three years after 14-year-old Tyre Sampson tragically fell to his death from an amusement park ride in Florida, a former maintenance technician has filed a lawsuit against the ride operator, alleging negligence and retaliation.
Austin Alexander, who worked as a maintenance technician for the FreeFall ride from April 2021 to March 2023, claims he repeatedly warned about safety concerns before Sampson’s fatal fall. According to the lawsuit, Alexander raised alarms about the ride’s ability to safely accommodate larger riders and reported cracks in its metal structure. However, he alleges that his concerns were ignored.
The lawsuit further claims that Alexander was pressured to falsify maintenance logs at the amusement park to indicate that certain safety checks had been completed before the accident. When he refused, he was placed on leave and later fired.
Sampson died in March 2022 after falling from the 430-foot drop tower. Investigators later determined that he had been too large for the ride and that his shoulder harness had not been properly secured. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the ride was dismantled.
Alexander’s lawsuit now adds another layer to the ongoing legal battles surrounding the incident, as questions about safety protocols and accountability continue to surface.
Earlier this month, Six Flags tore down Kingda Ka, the once-iconic roller coaster that held the title of the world’s tallest and fastest ride. The massive 456-foot-tall structure was brought down to make way for a new attraction at the amusement park.
The implosion was initially scheduled between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., but demolition crews took down the towering ride just before 7 a.m. SkyFOX captured footage of the moment the structure collapsed, leaving behind a pile of broken steel beams and shattered track pieces.
Built in 2005, Kingda Ka was a major draw for thrill-seekers, holding its record-breaking status for years. However, Six Flags made the decision last year to permanently close and demolish the ride, sparking disappointment among longtime fans.
“Using a hydraulic launch system that often caused maintenance issues throughout the ride’s two-decade life cycle, the ride reached a top speed of 128 miles per hour — a record that was eventually broken in 2010 upon the opening of Formula Rossa (which reaches 149 miles per hour) at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi,” Entertainment reported. “Even if it had remained open, however, Kingda Ka’s height record would’ve been broken in the near future upon the opening of Six Flags Qiddiya City’s Falcon’s Flight, which will reach heights of nearly 640 feet when it opens later this year.”
