Attorneys for the parents of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson are gearing up for a legal showdown in Austin, moving to stop a new drop tower planned for COTALAND before it ever carries a rider. Their argument is blunt and personal: the same manufacturer tied to their son’s fatal fall in Orlando should not be allowed to build a similar attraction in Texas.
Family lawyer Michael Haggard says he plans to record the Florida judgment in Texas, then ask a court for an injunction that would block the Funtime-built tower from being constructed or opened. The looming court fight comes as COTALAND pushes toward finishing its slate of rides beside Circuit of the Americas.
The legal push was first reported locally by KXAN, which outlined the family’s plan to file in Texas. Local reporting says the strategy centers on whether a foreign manufacturer that was found negligent in Florida can be stopped from putting up the same type of ride at a U.S. park.
What happened in Orlando
A civil jury in Orange County found the ride’s Austrian maker negligent and ordered roughly $310 million in damages to Sampson’s parents, a verdict that now fuels the family’s effort to keep the company out of Austin. According to The Associated Press, the manufacturer did not appear at trial, and the family will now have to try to collect through European courts.
Investigators concluded that Sampson was ejected from the Orlando FreeFall in March 2022 after his harness was mis-adjusted and the ride lacked a secondary belt, a combination that turned a thrill ride into a disaster.
COTALAND says its tower will differ
COTALAND officials have told local reporters that Austin’s version of the ride will not be a copy-and-paste job of the Orlando tower and that the park’s model will be, in their words, “redundantly safe.” As reported by KXAN, the park’s chair says the planned design mirrors Dollywood’s Drop Line, will not tilt forward, and will use both seat belts and shoulder restraints, plus a loading-area scale to enforce a per-rider weight limit.
Evidence, reaction and next steps
WESH 2 Investigates reviewed a bill of lading that shows parts for a Funtime tower were delivered to COTALAND in April 2023 and examined city “air space” documents that estimate the new structure at about 218 feet. WESH also quoted Sampson’s mother, Nekia Dodd, saying, “They killed my son. That’s how I look at it,” and reported Haggard’s plan to file the Orlando judgment in Texas and seek an injunction to halt construction.
The story has sparked renewed calls from some safety advocates and members of Congress for closer scrutiny of how foreign ride manufacturers operate in the United States, and what happens when something goes tragically wrong.
What Austin readers should know
COTALAND is building a multi-ride amusement area next to Circuit of the Americas and has already opened select attractions during events, although a full public opening date for all rides has not been announced. For background on the park’s buildout and the coaster work, see our earlier coverage.
Court papers expected in the coming weeks will determine whether the Funtime drop tower remains on the site or is stopped by a Texas court order. For now, park officials maintain that safety changes are in place, while Sampson’s family keeps pressing for accountability and legal remedies.
