Eight elderly residents injured in unlicensed tram wreck

When an assisted living facility in Hermitage, Tenn. hired an unlicensed company, Active Entertainment, to operate a novelty train on their property in May, they put their residents in danger. During a ride on the tram in which the vehicle was attempting to climb a hill, it toppled over and injured eight of its twelve elderly passengers. Betty Fields, an 83 year old resident of McKendree Village, was one victim of the accident who sustained internal bleeding, fractured bones, and a superficial head wound as a result.

Though the train only traveled at a walking pace, according to Fields’s attorney, McKendree may still be held liable for the serious consequences of the accident as a result of their failure to properly research Active Entertainment before hiring them. A spokesperson from the Tennessee Department of Labor said the entertainment company was unable to provide proof of insurance and was therefore denied a valid permit to operate the amusement devise. The former owner of Active Entertainment told reporters that she was unaware such a permit was required.