Executive Summary
- A 6-year-old girl died Sunday after a go-kart collision at Urban Air in Port St. Lucie on Saturday night.
- The facility has been closed indefinitely while the Florida Department of Agriculture and OSHA conduct safety investigations.
- A witness has raised concerns about track maintenance, alleging that go-karts had worn tires and poor traction prior to the incident.
- This is the second major safety incident at an Urban Air franchise in Florida, following a serious zip line accident in 2019.
A 6-year-old girl has died after sustaining injuries in a go-kart collision at the Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, according to the Port St. Lucie Police Department. The incident occurred on Saturday evening, leading to the immediate closure of the facility as authorities launch a multi-agency investigation into the safety conditions at the venue.
Police officers were dispatched to the adventure park at approximately 8:51 p.m. on Saturday. According to Port St. Lucie police, the child was riding in a go-kart with an adult when their vehicle was struck by another go-kart. Following the collision, the child was airlifted to HCA Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce for emergency treatment. Authorities confirmed that the girl succumbed to her injuries on Sunday.
The Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park has remained closed since the incident. On Monday, inspectors from the Florida Department of Agriculture, which regulates amusement rides in the state, arrived at the facility to conduct an examination. Additionally, federal investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have been deployed to review the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash. The park’s management has not yet released a statement regarding the specific details of the collision.
Concerns regarding the maintenance of the go-kart track have been raised by patrons following the tragedy. Stephon Jennings, a visitor who identified himself as an experienced go-kart racer, provided video footage recorded at the venue in October. Jennings alleged that the go-karts appeared to have worn tires with poor traction. “They’re literally just scrubbing the floor, and as soon as you turn left or right, you’re still going straight,” Jennings told reporters, characterizing the track conditions as a “free-for-all.”
This fatality marks the second serious safety incident involving an Urban Air franchise in Florida in recent years. In 2019, a 10-year-old boy suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and brain injuries after falling 20 feet from a zip line at a Central Florida location. Court records indicate that a settlement was reached in that case in 2022. While the company stated it took safety seriously following the 2019 incident, it has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the recent fatality in Port St. Lucie.
Regulatory Oversight and Investigative Scope
The involvement of both the Florida Department of Agriculture and OSHA indicates a comprehensive review of the facility’s operational compliance and equipment maintenance. In Florida, the Department of Agriculture is the primary regulator for amusement rides, tasked with permitting and inspecting such attractions to ensure they meet statutory safety standards. The investigation will likely focus on maintenance logs, the mechanical integrity of the go-karts involved, and whether the track conditions contributed to the collision. The findings from these state and federal probes will determine if any safety violations occurred and what corrective measures are necessary before the venue can resume operations.
