ORLANDO, Fla. – Weather caused several events to be canceled over the weekend, but one went on as lawmakers sought to get results and remember and honor a teen who lost his life too soon.
“Unfortunately because of the torrential rain, we’ve decided to cancel that event,” said State Rep. Lavon Bracy-Davis who stood beside State Sen. Geraldine Thompson.
The pair of lawmakers announced through video the cancellation of of their Juneteenth event Saturday.
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The cultural arts festival was set to bring hundreds of people to the Ocoee area and set the stage to honor Tyre Sampson, but it had to be moved.
“I remember you saying this is a fight you would not have chosen,” State Sen. Thompson said.
An emotional Yarnell Sampson received a copy of SB 902, which has now been turned into law earlier this year.
The law, known as the Tyre Sampson Act, was given to Sampson in a ceremony that took place inside State Representative Bracy-Davis’s office.
The bill is set to enhance and set safety requirements for amusement park rides across the state.
“My son deserves this piece of mind, now hopefully he is up there in heaven playing having fun, and realized that his father didn’t give up on him,” Yarnell Sampson said.
Tyree Sampson died in March of last year after slipping from the Orlando free fall ride at Icon Park.
The investigation later showed his seat had been modified to fit larger riders.
The new law, now requires amusement rides to be regularly commissioned and certified.
If there is an accident an operator has to report it in a certain time frame and the state could impound the ride involved.
It also calls for more employee training and mandatory signage of height and weight requirements.
“This bill, I am hoping we can make it a law nationwide it’s just a start... so I am not done with this,” Yarnell Sampson said.
Now Sampson says while receiving a copy of SB902 was moving, he also came to Orlando to be closer to his son ahead of Father’s Day.
He is set to return to Orlando next Juneteenth.
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