Are the rides at the NC State Fair safe? Here’s how inspectors put them to the test.

Before anyone dangles upside-down from the Ring of Fire, before anyone shrieks their way through Alien Abduction, before anyone throws up their hands during the big drop on the Mighty Mouse, a state inspector tests every nut and bolt.

With five new rides this year, the NC State Fair offers thrill-seekers nearly 100 chances to get dizzy, disoriented and down for a second ride.

But in the days before Thursday’s opening, a dozen inspectors will check, double-check, sign and date their safety checklist.

“We’re looking for any missing bolts or pins,” said Yure Dixon, inspector with the state Department of Labor, crawling under the Music Express ride with a flashlight Tuesday. “We make sure the ride is level. We look at the repairs manual to see if there’s any special torques. There’s a lot of critical points, a lot of structural points.”

Safety remains strongly on fair organizers’ minds after multiple fairgoers suffered injuries in 2013 when a ride called The Vortex started unexpectedly, knocking them to a deck 20 to 30 feet below. One of the victims spent months in a coma after brain and spinal cord injuries

The ride’s owner, Joshua Gene Macaroni, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay a $22,500 fine as part of a plea arrangement. Prosecutors later said state inspectors found trouble with the ride and ordered repairs, but the owner tampered with an electrical box and bypassed the safety measures with jump wiring.

The ride’s operator, Timothy Dwayne Tutterow, 49, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to probation after spending 22 days in jail. The parties involved settled a civil suit for an undisclosed amount.

Dixon emphasized that rides are checked until the fair packs up, and the inspections should be visible for waiting riders.

“You can check it to see that status,” he said, “then you can check it to see the person that signed it and the date.”

A simpler ride takes about an hour to scrutinize, but the roller-coasters consume the most time because each piece of track gets a going-over. But explaining this, Dixon offered one confession.

He’s not a daredevil.

“I don’t ride them all,” he said. “Very few.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2022 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Are the rides at the NC State Fair safe? Here’s how inspectors put them to the test.."

Josh Shaffer

The News & Observer

919-829-4818

Josh Shaffer is a general assignment reporter on the watch for “talkers,” which are stories you might discuss around a water cooler. He has worked for The News & Observer since 2004 and writes a column about unusual people and places.