Jury awards 310 Million Dollars to the Parents of a football player killed in Orlando Amusement Park

The parents of a 14-year-old Missouri boy who tragically fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride in 2022 have been awarded $310 million in a verdict against the ride’s Austrian manufacturer.

On Thursday, an Orange County jury ordered the builder, Funtime, to pay $155 million each to Tyre Sampson’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson. Tyre died on March 24, 2022, after falling 70 feet from the Orlando Free Fall ride at Icon Park. The trial, which lasted just one day, proceeded without Funtime’s participation, as the company failed to appear in court.

Icon Park had previously reached a confidential settlement with the Sampson family.

“The jury’s decision validates our position that Tyre’s death was caused by gross negligence and a disregard for passenger safety in favor of profit,” the family’s attorneys, Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, said in a statement. “This outcome holds the ride’s manufacturers accountable for their failure to protect passengers.”

The family must now seek an order from an Austrian court to enforce the damages awarded.

Funtime did not respond to requests for comment. The company, known for creating thrill rides such as the Vomatron, Sling Shot, and Chaos Pendle, specializes in attractions involving high speeds, significant heights, and extreme motion.

Tyre Sampson, a promising football player who stood 6’2” and weighed 380 pounds, was visiting Orlando on spring break from the St. Louis area when the accident occurred during a trip to the downtown amusement park with friends.