South Carolina state lawmakers have approved a bill setting new standards for miniature train rides, almost a year after a Spartanburg amusement train derailed and killed six-year-old Benji Easler.
His father Dwight Easler said he was pleased the House approved the bill Wednesday. “I’m really, really happy about Benji’s Law passing,” he told South Carolina Radio Network, “That really makes me feel good.”
The bill, known as “Benji’s Law,” now heads to Governor Nikki Haley, who has indicated she will sign it into law. It passed the state Senate last year.
Easler, a pastor at Corinth Baptist Church in Gaffney, approached State Sen. Harvey Peeler (R-Gaffney) last year only a few weeks after the fatal crash. “He asked that I introduce this legislation,” Peeler said.
The new law would require both a properly operating speedometer and a governing device that would not allow the train to go faster than the manufacturer’s recommendations. The legislation would also require ride operators to have an updated training record kept on file and would expand ride inspections to include a speed test.
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