Ten days after a woman was thrown from a Gatlinburg amusement ride and seriously injured, the state will allow the business to reopen.
On July 3, Alma Fatien, was riding the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster when she was ejected, suffering fractures to both wrists, a knee cap, head trauma, and possible broken ribs.
The ride was closed, and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development began an investigation.
State officials sent a third-party inspector to examine the ride and found no issues. The inspector also determined that the ride was in proper working order when the accident happened.
The coaster's owner issued a report that claimed the woman may not have been buckled, and said that an employee did not properly check the restraints before the ride, which violated their policies.
The company complied with the state's orders to have the ride inspected by a third party on three different dates since the accident, and no issues were found. They also removed the sled that was involved in the accident from service, and it won't be used again until the state deems it "safe and operable."
The state also ordered the business to provide proof of training procedures, signed documents showing all employees had been re-trained on those procedures, and to explain what the company would do to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.