Report: Owner, Employee Charged in Carnival Ride Accidents

The accidents occurred last month in Waterville, Maine

The Maine State Fire Marshal has charged the owner and an employee of a Maine carnival compnay in connection with two ride accidents in Waterville last month, according to CentralMaine.com.

The website reports that Jeannette Gilmore, the owner of Smokey's Greater Shows, was issued a summons for failure to train a mechanical ride operator, a civil violation. Employee Arthur Gillette, 49, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is charged with falsifying physical evidence for reportedly trying to fix or alter the condition of the ride before investigators saw it.

Both Gilmore and Gillette are scheduled to appear in court Sept. 22.

The two accidents occurred last month at the Head of Falls Park. Three children suffered mostly superficial injuries in the first incident when a roller coaster came apart, and a woman was injured in while trying to get off a ride before it came to a complete stop in the second incident.

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