Rides at State Fair reopen; latest on fatal accident

The Midway rides at the Ohio State Fair reopened Sunday morning for the first time after Wednesday night’s fatal accident on the Fire Ball ride.

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Three of the victims remain in critical condition as of Sunday morning. 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell died on the Fire Ball after a malfunction.

The Midway reopened on Saturday, but the rides were closed.

Fair officials posted on Facebook Sunday morning news that fair officials and patrons wanted to hear that the rides would open today.

The Fire Ball ride, however, remains closed.

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Fair spokeswoman Alicia Shoults told the Columbus Dispatch that Friday's fair attendance was down 15,000 from last year. Thursday's was down 13,000.

About 35,902 people attended the fair on Thursday and 42,403 on Friday, Shoults told the Dispatch.

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Jarrell’s family spoke out about the tragedy that killed their son.

“He was loved and had a future, until the disaster at the Ohio fair. My question is who [is] responsible for not doing their job of inspecting the rides?” Jarrell’s father, Anthony Jarrell, told ABC News.

Franklin County Coroner Anahi Ortiz told WSYX-TV in Columbus that Jarrell died of blunt force trauma, suffering head, trunk and lower extremity injuries.

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