Ride operator from mishap at 2013 North Carolina State Fair pleads guilty to felony assault
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The man at the controls of a thrill ride when it malfunctioned during the 2013 North Carolina State Fair has admitted to tampering with safety equipment intended to prevent such a mishap.
Timothy Dwayne Tutterrow of Quitman, Georgia, pleaded guilty Monday in Wake County Superior Court to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Three members of a Raleigh family were seriously injured Oct. 24, 2103, when The Vortex ride suddenly lurched into motion as patrons were trying to exit.
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Tutterow is expected to testify against ride owner Joshua Gene Macaroni, who is also charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors say Macaroni and Tutterrow bypassed a key switch on The Vortex to keep it operating.