Tyre Sampson's mother visits Orlando FreeFall ride for first time since teen's death
Several big steps taken today as a family and a community continues to heal from a tragedy. It's been nearly one year since Tyree Sampson fell to his death on the Orlando Freefall ride at Icon Park and today was a somber day for his mother who visited the place where her son died for the very first time. This comes as piece by piece workers are dismantling that ride. Chapter 2 is overhead today where a massive crane is on site along I Drive. We spoke with visitors to the popular tourist district about the latest developments on this process. In the meantime, lawmakers in Tallahassee continue their work on enhancing safety regulations with a bill that bears Tyree Sampson's name. Westchews Gail Pascal Brown is joining us live from Icon Park tonight with the emotional message from Tyree Sampson's mother and the family's attorney Gail.
You know one cannot understand the incredible grief that Nikia Dodd and her family has been through but yet she has been a fighter in the name of a 14 year old son Tyree Sampson and today just like she has in the past she showed incredible strength. My son took his last breath on this ride so it's heartbreaking, devastating. It's a feeling that I hope no parent will ever have to go through. Nikia Dodd's son Tyree Sampson was killed on the Orlando Freefall ride March 24th, 2022 and this is the first time she's come to Florida. Joined by Tyree's sister and cousin she came just as a 430 foot tall ride began coming down piece by piece on International Drive. It's a bittersweet moment you know the ride's coming down I'm thankful for that but my ride my son's not coming back. As she backed away Nikia Dodd was visibly shaken.
The tragic accident that killed her son is now approaching one year but the fight to take the ride down is over. That does not happen often but Nikia did not stop there with Tyree's legacy. The second thing she wanted is she wanted the people of the state of Florida and beyond to be safe from these rides. You've got to have redundant safety features on any ride that goes over 100 feet in the air to have a seatbelt and to have a harness both a seatbelt would have saved Tyree's life. He says her next mission was to hold those responsible accountable. We're here to announce to you today that we have reached the settlement with both icon and slingshot. Details of the settlement were not released but in response the ride's owner Orlando Slingshot said we are pleased that a settlement has been reached.
We also continue to support Senator Thompson in her efforts to make the Tyree Sampson bill state law. Icon Park says with the utmost respect to the family we defer any questions on this matter to the family. The attorney said the case is not over. They're still suing two foreign companies which designed and built Freefall. Meanwhile Nikia Dodd has created a foundation for her son. He says it will benefit the community. It will give back to the sporting arena because he was a huge sports enthusiast.
He loved football and it will keep his legacy alive. I'm Gail Pasco-Brown, Live Along International Drive for West Union.
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