Girl's hair, scalp ripped off in freak carnival ride accident

OMAHA, NE -- The mother of an 11-year-old girl whose hair got caught in a spinning carnival ride says her daughter underwent surgery to repair her scalp and remains in a Nebraska hospital.

Virginia Cooksey tells the Omaha World-Herald her daughter didn't suffer any fractures or brain trauma but could have vision problems or need more surgery.

Police say the girl was taken to Nebraska Medicine after the incident Saturday afternoon at a Cinco de Mayo festival in Omaha. Witnesses said the girl's hair got caught in a ride called King's Crown.

Omaha police Lt. Steve Cerveny tells TV station KETV officials are trying to determine whether there was a malfunction with the ride.

The ride vendor, Thomas D. Thomas Shows, says an investigation is underway.

Watch a report by local station WOWT in the video above.