Man says he was electrified at a Plymouth motel, calls conditions unsafe

PLYMOUTH, Ind. – A man who said he was electrified at a Plymouth motel is now concerned for the safety of others who may stay there.

Maverick Richie said when he stepped out of the shower at the Economy Inn on North Michigan Street, he was shocked and fell to the ground.

“It just lit me up, it’s like being in a dark room with a strobe light going on through your body,” Ritchie said.

He said he stepped on an extension cord in the bathroom that was exposed and lying on the ground. It was connected to a lamp, and ran out into the room, because Ritchie said the outlet and lights in the bathroom didn’t work.

Ritchie is now unable to walk without support and unable to work and has incurred $5,000 in medical bills as a result of what happened.

“I had no problems with anything before,” Ritchie said. “My leg will give out on me and I’ll just go right down to the ground.”

Plymouth’s Building Inspector Keith Hammond has seen the photos of the extension cords and said that they should not be on the floor.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security said the motel had five violations back in October and the motel was compliant with all violations upon re-inspection on Nov. 17.

Ritchie was injured on Nov. 7 according to medical documents.

“You could walk in and there’s wires hanging all over the place,” Ritchie said.

Hammond said some of those issues were with extension cords in the office and storage areas of the hotel but that there were no issues with any of the rooms they went into.

Ritchie said he wants the owner to improve conditions in the motel before someone else gets hurt.

“It’s mostly  for the safety of the kids, you know with the wires like that, that’s not safe,” Ritchie said.

The owner of the hotel was reached out to for comment on the incident and denied that the extension cords in the room were his.

However, according to Hammond, he has been issues with exposed extension cords at the Economy Inn before.

A request has been submitted for the full details of the violations at the Economy Inn, ABC57 will bring you those details as soon as they are available.