NINE months after Katherine girl Valeesha Chong was badly injured in a terrifying show ride accident two men will face charges of negligently causing serious harm.
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Police from the Northern Investigation Section have summoned two men - aged 19 and 28 - to appear in the Katherine Court to face charges over the incident which happened at the Katherine
Show in July last year.
Eight-year-old Valeesha was enjoying a ride on the ‘Crazy Dancer’ together with her sister Narisha when she was flung off the ride.
“The ride started and it was going faster and faster and the bar lifted up and I lifted up with it,” Valeesha said.
“My sister tried to pull it back, but I fell out because the ride was going faster and faster. When I was on the
ground at first I couldn’t feel anything, but the ride carriers kept hitting me, again and again.”
Injuries suffered in the freak accident left Valeesha bound to a wheelchair for months.
“She still talks and thinks about the accident a lot,” her mother, Natasha Chong said. “Once a month she
has doctors check on the skin crafts she received for the burns to her back.
“We lucky they have set us up with a video link, so we don’t have to travel to Darwin all the time.”
Ms Chong said her daughter still needed to treat the burns injuries with gel three times a day.
“Last year they told us it would be at least 18 months (to recover). That’s at least another six months to go.”
But Ms Chong said she was glad about the progress Valeesha had made.
“She’s going really well. She still can’t run properly, but her health is as good as it can be given the circumstances. Doctors aren’t really happy and think she should be better, but we are happy that she’s as good as she is.”
Ms Chong said Valeesha and her family had “given up hope” to see justice over the show ride horror when police contacted the family last week to inform them two men have been summoned to appear in court to face charges.
“We are happy – sort of. Probably it (the court case) is what we need to move on mentally.”
The Crazy Dancer – “The latest family ride in Australia” – was closed after the Katherine Show incident and NT Worksafe officials investigate the accident in July 2011.
But only days later the ride was back in use at the annual Royal Darwin Show.
