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State leaders discuss future of ICON Park rides

ORLANDO, Fla. — State leaders spoke about the future of ICON Park on International Drive in Orlando on Wednesday morning.

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Tyre Sampson fell to his death from the Orlando FreeFall ride in March.

State Sen. Randolph Bracy and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried answered questions about what’s next for the park.

READ: ICON Park introduces new ride, The Carousel on The Promenade

There are now concerns that there are plans for the company to reopen a ride at the park, which is the opposite of what some community members want.

Some community members want all the rides owned by the SlingShot Group to be taken down.

The commissioner said that can’t happen until the company is found negligent in court.

READ: ‘He deserves to be respected’: Tyre Sampson’s father calls for permanent memorial, removal of ride

Commissioner Nikki Fried said the first stage of the investigation is complete.

The expert analysis was done. That’s when we learned that someone made a seven-inch gap between Sampson’s harness and seat.

We asked the commissioner what her office can and cannot do when it comes to making sure rides are safe and when they can or cannot be taken down.

“Our role is to inspect if a ride is put together per the manual. We rely on the manual put together by the manufacturer,” Fried said.

READ: 9 things to know about the Orlando FreeFall at ICON Park

Fried said the department’s role is not to see if the ride is safe. It does not have the authorization to question the engineer, the company or if it went through safety protocols.

Fried ended with a promise to the community. She said she is going to do everything possible to hold everyone accountable. She said Florida has the strictest rules and regulations when it comes to rides and inspections.

See more in the video above.

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