NEW ROADS - State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams wants sweeping changes made to how carnival rides are inspected in Louisiana.

The push follows an accident at the Harvest Festival in New Roads in which two girls were seriously injured after being dumped 20 feet from a Ferris wheel.

Documents obtained by the Investigative Unit show the Ferris wheel in question had passed inspection yearly.

However, Adams takes issue with that inspection process, which, until 2016, used to be the duty of the fire marshal's office.

"The legislature passed some legislation that turned that inspection over to third-party inspectors and those third-party inspectors could actually be employees of the carnivals, and I thought that was a bit of an issue," Adams said.

He says he plans to take back that responsibility

See Full Page