SPARTANBURG (WACH, AP) -- A fund proposed by Spartanburg County leaders and Gov. Nikki Haley's office to pay medical bills for dozens of people hurt by a children's ride train crash was shut down by legal advisers who said the effort would make the county uninsurable.
That's according to emails released to the Herald-Journal of Spartanburg under a public records request.
The newspaper reported Thursday that local leaders proposed the county and Haley's office each put $1 million into a fund to pay medical bills for 27 people injured in the March 19 crash. But a state Insurance Reserve Fund attorney said the plan could make taxpayers liable for millions of dollars.
Lawmakers have discussed changing state law to exclude medical expenses from the liability cap that protects the government from paying unlimited damages.
The crash happened last month at Cleveland Park in Spartanburg killing a 6-year-old Gaffney boy and injured several others.
State officials say that the inspector responsible for certifying the miniature train ride did not complete the inspection before approving it.
The inspector, Donnie Carrigan, was fired for falsifying a report on the ride, according to the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
The inspection was approved just days before the crash, but a speed check wasn't completed due to a dead battery on the ride.
Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt says the ride was inspected Wednesday and had several test runs before the crash.
LLR officials also say Carrigan had an expired certification. The agency says Carrigan is one of seven who were trying to get their licensing certification renewed.
Officials say the children's ride opened a week early to accommodate an early blast of spring weather.
Spartanburg Parks Commission spokeswoman Nisha Patel told The Associated Press Monday that officials opted to open the nearly 60-year-old train March 19, a week ahead of schedule.
Corinth Baptist Church officials told Upstate's FOX Carolina that 16 church members, including the pastor, Easler's father, and his pregnant wife were on the ride at Cleveland Park when it derailed. Church members said Easler's two other sons were also in the hospital.
The church members aboard the train said they have no idea why it derailed but said the train seemed to be going a little fast.
Police said in an incident report released Tuesday that Matt Conrad, the driver of the train, told an officer who accompanied him to the hospital that he knew he had been driving too fast and felt the train leave the tracks.
(The Associated Press and FoxCarolina.com contributed to this report.)
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