Authorities have arrested the man who was operating a ride that a Broward girl fell 100 feet off of in July.
Charles Carnell, 33, is charged with felony reckless injury for not having the safety net properly in place on the free-fell ride, Terminal Velocity, a popular ride at an amusement park in Wisconsin.
Teagan Marti, 12, was on the ride July 30, when she jumped from the platform, only to land head first in the pavement below because the safety net designed to catch free fallers was not in place. Marti and her family were on vacation when the accident happened.
Marti, who lives in Parkland, is still in a Wisconsin hospital in critical condition with a broken back and many other injuries.
"The family supports the decision to have him arrested and prosecuted," the Marti family attorney, Stuart Grossman told the Sun-Sentinel.
According to the criminal complaint, Carnell told investigators he "blanked out" when he sent Marti plunging to the ground below. He was supposed to check to see if the safety net was in place and get a signal from below that it was safe to release the rider.
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Carnell admitted he didn't, according to the report.
Carnell was released on $1,000 bond from jail Wednesday. He had worked at the amusement park for 17 years.
A judge ruled he is not allowed to operate rides while he is out on bond. If convicted, Carnell could be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Marti was supposed to start school next week. She would be in the sixth grade.
