2 children taken to ER after 1 thrown from ride, another run over by separate ride at county fair

LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV/Gray News) - Two young children were taken to a hospital after falling off separate rides at the Lincoln County Fair on Saturday, according to witnesses and a statement from the fair board.

Some parents said they believed certain rides for young children were moving too fast and that attendants were not paying close attention.

Stefanie Fraggetti said she was watching her 7-year-old son on a turtle ride when she became concerned the ride was moving too fast. Before she could reach an attendant, a girl was ejected from a nearby ride.

“Right as I was about to walk up to the attendant, I saw this little girl fly through the air. She hit the fence right in front of me,” Fraggetti said.

A relative of the girl said she suffered a concussion.

Courtney Sadler, who brought her 4-year-old to the fair Saturday, said she witnessed a young boy fall beneath a mini-tractor ride.

“After it started, within like seconds, this child was underneath the ride. I don’t know how it happened. But all we heard was thump, thump, thump,” Sadler said.

Sadler said the tractors ran over the boy repeatedly before his mother pulled him out.

“So I guess on his left-hand side, you know, he had tire marks, black markings I would assume from the tires, all over the side of his face, and all the way down the side of his body and his legs and his nose,” Sadler said.

Both children were treated and released at a local hospital.

The Lincoln County Fair Board said in a statement it was aware of an incident involving the girl.

“The safety of our guests is our highest priority, and we appreciate the quick response of the on-site public safety personnel and medical providers who assisted,” the statement read.

The board said it would not comment further on the specifics of the incident out of respect for the child and her family.

The rides were operated by Fun Time Shows. The Missouri Department of Public Safety said the company passed an annual inspection to obtain a one-year permit to operate. Fun Time Shows had not responded to a request for comment as of publication.