The boy was allegedly struck by the ride’s spinning car multiple times after he fell from Palace Playland’s Super Star attraction in Maine

NEED TO KNOW

• In July 2022, a 10-year-old boy fell from the Super Star ride and was injured at Palace Playland in Maine
• The boy’s father is suing the park for negligence and emotional distress after witnessing the incident
• The lawsuit claims the boy was improperly restrained and seeks compensation for medical expenses and emotional distress

An amusement park in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, is facing a lawsuit four years after a boy was injured on a ride. 

The boy’s father, Walter Mercer, is suing Palace Playland amusement park for negligence and emotional distress after his son, who was 10 years old at the time, fell from the Super Star ride on the evening of July 16, 2022, according to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

Mercer’s son allegedly suffered multiple injuries as a result of the incident, including a two-inch head laceration, significant bruising, a broken nose and pain along the right side of his body. 

The incident occurred after the boy was allegedly improperly restrained by an operator working the ride that day, prompting Mercer to notice and yell for the operator not to start the ride, per the complaint.

The ride still started, and Mercer’s son then realized the safety restraints were not properly secured, according to the complaint. He allegedly fell from the ride, landed on the metal floor and was struck numerous times by the ride’s rotating cars. 

About 23 seconds passed from the time the ride started to the time the operator could get to the boy after he fell, according to a press release from Mercer’s attorney, Peter Richard. Per the complaint, the boy was hit by the ride’s cars at least twice and was taken to Maine Medical Center by ambulance. 

Mercer claims that the incident caused him severe emotional distress after he watched the events unfold, fearing his son may have been seriously injured or killed. 

The complaint also alleges negligence, accusing Palace Playland of properly securing Mercer’s son during the ride. The park did not keep the operator working the Super Star ride that day for an interview after the accident, nor did they immediately provide the requested incident reports, the filing claims.

Mercer is seeking compensation for medical expenses in addition to emotional distress, and is requesting a jury trial, per the complaint.

PEOPLE has reached out to Palace Playland and an attorney for Mercer but did not receive an immediate response. 

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Palace Playland is a five-acre amusement park located on the beach and features over 28 rides and attractions.

According to the park’s website, the Super Star ride is made up of a central column that consists of three protruding arms. Each arm includes a star-shaped structure holding seven gondolas. 

“When the ride begins the central column spins one way, while the stars at the end of each arm are raised in the air and rotate the other way,” the website states.

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