Boy, 3, Dead at Illinois Theme Park

Daily Mail: A boy of three has died after falling out of a children’s roller coaster at an amusement park in front of his horrified family.

Jayson Dansby was sitting next to his twin brother when he wriggled free of the safety bar and stood up - but then lost his balance. The youngster fell backwards and hit his head before tumbling 10ft to the floor.

His mother and father are believed to have seen the tragedy unfold in front of them and ran to help but their son was declared dead at the scene. Police said they were ‘inconsolable’.

The Go Bananas amusement park in Norridge near Chicago, Illinois, has been closed until further notice as detectives and safety teams investigate what happened. Investigators will be looking at how the boy managed to get himself free and whether or not he was tall enough to be allowed on the Python Park snake-themed ride.

The accident happened around 5pm on Saturday night as the popular Chuck E. Cheese style establishment was filled with families enjoying themselves. Go Bananas is a popular place for children to have their birthday parties and it is thought there were some celebrating when the accident happened.

Norridge chief of police James Jobe told MailOnline: ‘Details are still being worked out but it looks like the boy was in the front car with his brother and he managed to get free from the safety bar.

‘He stood up but fell backward and landed in the join between the first car and the second car. ‘Then he fell to the floor with serious head injuries. He was declared dead at the scene.

Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, a person who answered the door at the Dansby household said his family was not ready to speak publicly about the incident. A neighbour said she often saw Jayson playing with his brother on their family's front lawn and described the boy as a 'very nice, friendly child.'

Chief Jobe added that the roller coaster, like the rest of the rides in the park, was not an adult-sized roller coaster but a small ride for young children.

'We have not had any incidents like this before and we have no record of safety issues with the amusement park,’ he said. ‘It’s a small place with a few rides, amusement arcades and a pizza restaurant.

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