Crime

6-year-old killed in crash of ride at S.C. park, inspector fired

By Barry Leibowitz

March 22, 2011 / 9:18 AM EDT / CBS News

Workers walk tracks Monday of train ride that crashed in a Spartanburg, S.C. park WSPA.com

(CBS/AP) COLUMBIA, S.C. - A family outing at a South Carolina park turned deadly Saturday when a boy was killed in the crash of a children's mini-train ride.

South Carolina officials say an inspector didn't test the train ride and also faked a report about the ride that overturned, killing 6-year-old Benji Easler, and injuring his parents and siblings at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg, S.C.

Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation chief Catherine Templeton said Monday the inspector could not have tested the ride because a battery in the train was dead, making it inoperable.

She says the inspector has been fired.

Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt says the ride had several test runs before Saturday's crash. The train was in its first day of operation for the season.