The “Xtreme” carnival ride that 10-year-old Hailey McMullen was riding when she was fatally thrown from her seat has been in operation for 27 years and passed an inspection before it started spinning at the Deerfield Township Harvest Festival this past weekend.
The ride’s owner, Skelly’s Amusements, said the ride’s been maintained well and they’ve had no major problems, according to Rick Marchione, a manager at Skelly’s
“They last about 40 years, but they can last even longer if it is maintained right,” Marchione said. "They can be very durable.”
The entire company, which is based in Williamstown, is stunned like the town. Hailey’s death Saturday night is the first death in their history.
“These employees are like family to each other," Marchione said. “I have been with the company for 20 years, and there’s people who are still here when I came.”
Marchione said morale is down among the employees, calling it a “punch in the gut.” The company is trying to bring in grief counselors.
After Hailey’s death Saturday night, the company received the clearance to reopen but decided to shut down for the rest of the festival, which ran Thursday to Sunday.
“They did a thorough investigation in the evening, and then they were back and brought a couple more inspectors to continue,” Marchione said. “We just didn’t have it in our hearts. We got the clearance to start up again, but we just couldn’t do it.”
Marchione said the company follows state regulations, and the ride in question, also known as the “Super Sizzler,” is manufactured by Wisdom Rides Inc. (Some versions are called the “dizzy-go-round” or “The Scrambler.”)
It was on a list of permitted rides issued by the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) as of Oct. 7, Marchione said.
Skelly’s co-owners, Michael Skelly and Tom O’Connor, did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. The company did issue a statement on Facebook Sunday:
“We are absolutely heartbroken,” the company wrote. “Words cannot express our feelings and we extend our deepest sympathies to the individual’s family and loved ones. We ask that you keep them in your thoughts.”
According to their website, Skelly’s have been in business in operation since 1956. The company provides up to 25 amusement rides, concessions, and games for carnivals and fairs in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Deerfield Harvest Festival was the last event of the season.
According to the “safety” section on the site, Skelly’s conducts weekly safety meetings with ride operators and staff and maintains a complete training, inspection and maintenance program.
The company also has a quality control, or “QC” team, made up of Skelly’s employees who have been with the company for a minimum of for years. The company send them to attend National Association Of Amusement Ride Safety Officials (NAARSO)-recognized safety seminars, and have to pass a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Level II certification exam.
Skelly's Amusements is based in Williamstown
In 2007, Michael Skelly was a member of the state’s Carnival and Amusement Ride Safety Advisory Board, a division of the DCA.
DCA spokeswoman Lisa Ryan said the department’s Carnival and Amusement Safety Unit handles all amusement park and carnival ride inspections in the state. The unit inspects every ride at the beginning of the season prior to operation.
“We do as many other inspections as possible throughout the season as possible,” Ryan said.
“We place a special emphasis on seeing them at their first set up,” Ryan said.
The DCA has an exception that allows an operator to operate under the prior year’s permit if the there are no outstanding violations from the prior year, and the applicant has made a complete application for the upcoming season.
“However, we use this provision as a last resort, and the vast majority of mechanical rides are inspected prior to use even for traveling shows,” Ryan said.
DCA inspectors and the New Jersey State Police and local authorities continue to investigate the incident.
- Reporters Rebecca Everett and Ted Sherman contributed to this story.
Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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