1 Teen Killed, 1 Hurt After Being Ejected From Carnival Ride

One teenage girl was killed and another was injured when they were ejected from a whirling ride at an El Paso church carnival.

The girls were at a parking lot carnival marking the annual Dia de los Ninos holiday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church when they were hurled from a spinning ride called "Sizzler" just before 7 p.m. Friday.

A 16-year-old girl hit a metal barricade and died a short time later at Del Sol Medical Center. A 15-year-old girl was taken to University Medical Center with injuries not thought to be life-threatening.

A third girl who also was on the ride had hooked her arms on a safety bar and was not ejected.

The girls' identities have not been released, and police Sgt. Enrique Carrillo says they haven't determined what caused the girls to be ejected. 

China Arevalo was selling snacks at a concession booth when she heard a disturbance nearby. She heard that someone had fallen from one of the carnival rides, she said.

"There was a girl on the ground, and they were doing CPR to revive her" and the girl appeared to have regained consciousness, Arevalo told the El Paso Times. She noticed a large pool of blood on the ground from an injury to the back of the girl's head, she said.

"Sizzler" whirls riders around a center pivot and also spins them in their seats. The ride is owned by Playtime Amusements Inc. in Las Cruces, New Mexico. A telephone call to the company was abruptly disconnected. An email message brought no immediate response.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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