Florida State Fair adds changes 9 years after 14-year-old killed on I-4 after being kicked out by deputies

TAMPA, Fla. - Families walked into the Florida State Fair under new rules Friday, with students 17 years old and under required to be accompanied by an adult at night.

The changes come nine years after 14-year-old Andrew Joseph III was hit and killed by a car after deputies kicked him and nearly 100 other students out of the fair. 

On Friday outside the fairground, Joseph’s parents held a march in his memory to keep pushing for safety.

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"It means a whole lot deeply. I mean we’re still his parents. We’re just parenting him from a different universe so to speak," said Andrew Joseph Jr., Andrew’s father.

Joseph and his wife Deanna lost their son on February 7, 2014. He was at the Florida State Fair for student day, when there was a commotion between several students and deputies ended up kicking out nearly 100 students, including Andrew. Leaving the state fair, he tried to cross I-4 when he was hit and killed by a car. His family spent the next nine years pushing for justice and clearing his name.

In September 2022, a judge found the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 90% responsible for Andrew’s death in a wrongful death lawsuit.

"It means that my son will protect other children from ever having to ever experience the fate in which he experienced," said Deanna Joseph, Andrew’s mother.

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They channeled their grief into the creating the Andrew Joseph Foundation, to help other families dealing with loss.

"We have a circle for mothers that’s dealing with similar grief of losing a child. We also have a circle for fathers and a circle for the siblings," said Joseph Jr. "It was really important because when you’re in this type of situation nobody knew what to do. There was no services. There was no groups."

Andrew’s parents also continue advocating for safety changes. 

In the years after Andrew’s death, Student Day is now Family Day. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said no students can get into the fair without an adult 21 and older with valid ID after 6 p.m.

"Over the last couple of years, we saw the number of ejections and arrests going up. One hundred sixty-seven ejections and 136 of them were on student night. Six arrests, 4 of them on student night. We knew we needed to be more proactive," said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.

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The Josephs hope no other family will have to walk in their shoes, so they plan to keep sounding off.

"At this day and time, we’re in the right place and in the right space and in the right direction to keep this place the place it needs to be so that all children and all families can be safe and protected. But we have a long way to go," said Joseph.

Andrew’s mom said she’s pushing for no guns to be allowed at the fair. Currently, state law allows concealed carry permit holders to carry their gun to the fair.