A month-long investigation into a deadly carnival ride accident in Butte has ended without criminal charges, Silver Bow County Attorney Matt Enrooth announced this week. The accident occurred in June during a carnival operated by Midway West Amusements, and resulted in at least one fatality.
Enrooth told MTN News that investigators found no criminal culpability on the part of Midway West Amusements in connection with the accident. The investigation ran approximately four weeks before the county attorney's office reached its conclusion. The specifics of what caused the ride to fail and what standard of care was reviewed in the investigation have not been fully detailed in public statements from the county attorney's office.
The decision not to prosecute does not foreclose civil liability, and families of victims may still pursue wrongful death claims against the carnival operator or equipment manufacturers. Carnival ride safety is regulated at the state level in Montana, and whether the incident prompts any review of inspection protocols or operator licensing requirements remains an open question. Butte-Silver Bow officials have not indicated whether any administrative or regulatory action is being pursued separately from the criminal investigation.