Child knocked unconscious by carnival ride

BAYTOWN, Texas, March 30 (UPI) -- A 4-year-old boy was knocked unconscious this weekend after becoming trapped underneath a carnival ride in Baytown, Texas, police say.

Baytown police spokesman Lt. Eric Freed said the unidentified child was found unconscious beneath a fire truck-style carnival ride. Initial reports indicated he may have mistakenly released the chain keeping him inside the ride, the Houston Chronicle reported Sunday.

"We were told the child may have unbuckled a chain that is supposed to keep him in the portion of the ride he's supposed to be in," Freed said of Saturday's accident.

Freed said after learning the child was trapped, a carnival operator stopped the amusement vehicle and the boy's father pulled him free.

The child was immediately taken to the hospital where he reportedly was in stable condition.

Freed told the Chronicle alcohol did not cause the accident and the operator of the ride was not facing any criminal charges.

State inspectors will review the accident scene to determine its cause and the traveling carnival will remain closed until that probe is completed, the Chronicle said.