Fairground Incident: Two Teens Charged After Swing Ride Chaos
A Columbia County woman was hospitalized after two 13-year-olds were accused of holding on to one another during a moving ride.
By Ella Cox ·
The annual county fair in Grovetown, Georgia, typically draws families for food and entertainment, but a recent incident on a swing ride turned into a medical emergency. On November 9, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office announced that two 13-year-olds faced charges after deputies said they intentionally caused the ride to become unstable.
The events unfolded during a ride session when the two teenagers, seated on separate swings, began to hold onto each other. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed that the pair had been warned against this behavior before the ride started. As the ride slowed, the motion became erratic, leading to collisions between several swings. One adult woman sustained injuries severe enough to require an ambulance, while two children received treatment for minor wounds.
Kristen Murphy, a mother whose children were on the ride, captured video of the chaos. She described the frantic effort to reach her kids while the machinery was still moving. “This ride has to stop,” Murphy said. “My kids are on it. Something’s happening. I need to get to them.” According to Murphy, other parents rushed to the control panel to assist her husband in slowing the machine. Once the ride stopped, she noticed the injuries on the riders and gathered her children.
Following the incident, the two 13-year-olds were issued paperwork detailing their charges. The sheriff’s office stated that the teens were released into the care of their parents. The case now moves through the juvenile justice system in Columbia County.
