An amusement ride operator has been charged in connection with an accident at the Canadian National Exhibition in September.

Eighteen people were hurt when the 'Wave Swinger' came to a sudden stop and crashed to the ground.

The ride had been inspected twice the week before the accident. Once by the rider's owner, Conklin and Garrett and once by a CNE safety inspector.

Even so, the ride came to a sudden stop and crashed two and a half metres to the ground during the last days of the annual fair.

Four cables on the ride had snapped. The accident was investigated by an independent agency called the Technical Standards and Safety Authority.

Spokesman, Tom Zatch says the cables weren't designed for that ride. "The bottom line is our inspection of the ride and our final investigation determined the proper inspection by the operator as under the Amusement Devices Act here in Ontario, would have indicated these defective cables should have been replaced," he said.

Zatch says problems such as worn cables should also have been caught when assembling and dismantling the ride.

The operator, Conklin and Garrett, faces three charges under provincial safety legislation. They include not regularly inspecting the ride, and not replacing worn, defective components on the Wave Swinger.

Fines for these charges can run up to $100,000 for each count against corporations.

The company will be in court in Toronto in mid-December.