2 hurt on North Carolina State Fair ride
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A night out at the fair for Gianna Carucci to celebrate her 10th birthday ended up landing her and her older sister in the hospital. The two say they slipped through the safety restraints on the Zipper ride. They were tossed around in the cage and their heads slammed against the metal.
"I thought I was going to fall out of the ride," said Gianna Carucci.
Older sister, Gina, tried to keep both of them safe.
"It was really scary," said Gina Carucci. "While she's screaming and we're getting jerked around, I'm trying to hold onto her for dear life so she doesn't fall or the cage doesn't open and she doesn't get hurt worse than she did."
The sisters spent Tuesday night at WakeMed Hospital receiving care. They were released early Wednesday morning and have minor injuries. The two are now resting at home in Lillington.
An ABC11 Eyewitness shot video of the girls right after they were able to get off the ride. EMS workers checked the two on scene.
The Zipper is a classic thriller. Cages will flip as the ride spins.
Fair officials say they did a safety check after the incident and inspectors didn't find any mechanical problems.
"People do need to keep in mind what rides do. They're going to throw you around. You're going to flip. You're going to get moved around," said fair spokesperson Brian Long.
The sisters met the height requirement for the ride. Gina said she feels there should be a weight requirement for some of the fair rides.
"You really have to sit in there and hold yourself to stay in place. That bar doesn't really do anything for you," she said. "If you're tiny do not get on that ride. It was a horrible experience. You don't want to slip through and fall and get banged up."
"My knee is hurting, really, really bad and my neck is hurting a little bit but not as much as it was last night," said Gianna.
The Department of Labor is also investigating the incident.
