Tears, Grief As 10-Year Old Killed On NJ Amusement Ride Is ID'd

NEW JERSEY – She was all over Facebook: Getting her next "stripe" in martial arts, some child's "BFF."

Now that same community was in morning Tuesday for Hailey McMullen, leaving balloons outside stores and seeking grief counselors at schools and churches after she was killed on an amusement ride at a festival.

"Please keep the McMullen Family in your prayers," Tara Dixon wrote. "We have known Hailey since she was 4 years old when she started in our Munchkin Class. Hailey and Ilana became BFF's right away. They have always been two peas in a pod, twinzies! We love you Hailey.."

Deerfield Township School District Chief Administrator Mary Steinhauer-Kula said Hailey was a fifth grade student at the district's elementary school. She sent a message to parents that said:

"It is with deep and profound sadness that I inform you of the loss of one of our beloved students. Hailey McMullen, a 5th grade student, was involved in a tragic accident last evening at the Harvest Festival. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hailey's family, our entire school community and all who knew and loved her."

A local church also was offering a place for people to grieve:

The school was offering grief counseling on Monday, Alex Ortiz, a fairgoer whose 10-year-old daughter was friends with the victim, told nj.com. He told the publication the girls went to school together, were bus buddies and had sleepovers.

“You come thinking the kids will be safe, not a freak accident,” Ortiz told nj.com

Here are some of the tributes paid to Hailey:

State officials, meanwhile, have launched a probe as new details emerged on the death of the 10-year-old girl who was killed after she was ejected from a New Jersey amusement ride, officials said.

The State Police and the state Department of Community Affairs are investigating how the girl was thrown from a ride called the "Xtreme," a Wisdom Super Sizzler ride whose cars spin in the opposite direction as the ride rotates. The ride protects the passengers with a lap bar.

The ride had been permitted and inspected by the Department of Community Affairs, according to the department. But Ken Martin, an amusement park safety analyst and consultant, told CBS3 that the ride is not safe.

“This ride is old. You never know what may happen. I know this ride has thrown people out before. I know that it goes too fast and I know that there were problems with the lap bars,” he told the station.

The ride's operator, Skelly's Amusements of Williamstown, drew fire for deciding not to immediately cancel its amusement operation while the investigation continues. The company ultimately relented and closed the rides Sunday.

At least two popular fairs in New Jersey — in Manasquan and the Middlesex County Fair — have used Skelly's as their operator in the past. Read more: Girl Killed On Ride Operated By Company That Does Manasquan Fairs

The 10-year-old girl suffered fatal injuries after she was thrown from the amusement ride at the Deerfield Township Harvest Festival on Saturday, police said.

The incident happened at 6:18 p.m. and the girl was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 7:20 p.m., police said.

The cause and circumstances remain under investigation, police said.

Eyewitnesses said other children were crying and shocked when they saw what happened:

Skelly's Amusements initially said it planned to continue to operate the remaining rides at the festival "based upon preliminary investigations conducted by the authorities having jurisdiction."

The company later issued this statement: "We will not be open today at the Harvest Festival. Even though we have been given permission to operate the other rides by the state, we don’t have it in our heart. We thank the sponsors of the Festival for their understanding..."

"We will be issuing refunds at the ticket booth," the company said. "The entertainment portion of the Harvest Festival will go on as scheduled."

The festival organizers also echoed the sentiment, and their Facebook post became a place for mourners to express their sympathy.

But the initial statement from Skelly's, which was posted on Facebook, drew criticism from some on social media who thought the decision to continue operating was disrespectful or premature.

"You don’t think packing up and leaving today is appropriate? How about donating all of today’s proceeds to the family of your victim?" one person wrote.

Skelly's wrote the company is "absolutely heartbroken. Words cannot express our feelings and we extend our deepest sympathies to the individual’s family and loved ones. We ask that you keep them in your thoughts."

"We are fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the State Police and the Carnival and Amusement Ride unit within the Department of Community Affairs," the statement said.

Here are other tributes and expressions of sorrow for the girl: