10-Year-Old Boy Hospitalized After Being Thrown from Carnival Ride at Taste of Antioch
ANTIOCH, Ill. (WLS) – A 10-year-old boy is currently hospitalized after being thrown from a carnival ride at the Taste of Antioch on Sunday afternoon. The child was airlifted from Antioch to Advocate General in Park Ridge in critical condition, but his condition has since stabilized.
The Antioch Fire Department received a distress call at approximately 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, reporting that a child had been injured on a carnival ride during the event. Disturbing video footage captured the aftermath of the accident, showing the young boy lying unresponsive on the ground.
Eyewitness Erin Maloney, who was waiting in line for the ride with her son, described the traumatic incident. “We were standing right in front of the ride, maybe 5-6 feet back, and we were looking at it when all of a sudden I turned and heard a woman screaming,” she said. “My son said, ‘Mom, look.’ I turned around and saw this little boy on the pavement, not moving, not responsive.”
Village officials have revealed that the 10-year-old was thrown from the ride while it was in motion due to improper fastening. The carnival was crowded at the time, and many people witnessed the horrifying incident. Charles Smith, Commander of Operations for the Antioch Police Department, acknowledged the traumatic impact on the community, stating, “It’s a traumatic event for our community.”
This incident occurred on the final day of Antioch’s summer food and entertainment festival. Concerned parent Ronald Hipolito expressed his sympathy for the child and his family, saying, “I feel sorry for the kid and the parents that have to go through this. No one should go through this. No one at all.”
Hipolito also recalled an incident involving his wife and son on the same carnival ride just days before. “My wife said that she had to stop the ride because my youngest son felt unsecured inside the roller coaster,” he shared. “He felt like he was going to fly out.”
Following the injured boy’s emergency transport to Lutheran General, Mayor Scott Gartner made the decision to shut down all carnival rides for the remainder of the event. Gartner explained that this action was taken not only out of respect for the family affected by the accident but also to ensure the safety of all residents. “The public safety for something like this is first and foremost,” he emphasized.
Antioch police are now collaborating with the Illinois Department of Labor to conduct a thorough inspection of all the rides for any potential safety issues. The investigation aims to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future and to ensure the well-being of carnival-goers.
What factors contributed to the boy being thrown from the carnival ride at the Taste of Antioch event?
A 10-year-old boy is currently in the hospital after being thrown from a carnival ride at the Taste of Antioch event. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, and the child was airlifted from Antioch to Advocate General in Park Ridge in critical condition. However, his condition has since stabilized.
The Antioch Fire Department received a distress call around 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, reporting that a child had been injured on a carnival ride during the event. Disturbing video footage captured the aftermath of the accident, showing the young boy lying unresponsive on the ground.
Eyewitness Erin Maloney, who was waiting in line for the ride with her son, described the traumatic incident. “We were standing right in front of the ride, maybe 5-6 feet back, and we were looking at it when all of a sudden I turned and heard a woman screaming,” she said.
This is truly a heartbreaking incident. The safety measures at such events need to be heavily scrutinized and improved to prevent any more tragic accidents like this one. My thoughts and prayers go out to the young boy and his family.