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At least 10 chairs on a Yo Yo carnival ride in Butte, Montana were missing pelvic safety belts, clips, and connectors while the ride was operating, according to a lawsuit filed by the estate of Clayton Phillips.
Phillips, 13, was placed in one of those chairs by improperly trained employees. He was thrown from the moving ride and died from his injuries two weeks later.
The breakdown in the safety chain Midway West Amusements, the ride's operator, knew about the missing restraints, the lawsuit alleges. The company did not repair the deficient chairs.
Instead, it relied on employee memory and verbal instructions to keep those seats empty. That informal system was the only safeguard between damaged equipment and carnival attendees.
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