NEWS: Roller Coaster Accident in Petaluma CA

[ScottBrown]

Here is the link to the story

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/24/BA661E42FL.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

 

 

 

Worker severs leg on Petaluma roller coaster

 

A worker at the Sonoma-Marin Fair suffered a severed leg when he stepped in front of a moving rolling coaster Wednesday afternoon at the fairgrounds in Petaluma.

 

The man opened a safety gate and stepped onto the track of the roller coaster called the Wacky Worm at 2:20 p.m. - less than 90 minutes into the opening day of the fair, said Vicki DeArmon, the fair's marketing director.

 

The man, who was in his 20s and was not the operator of the ride, was hospitalized, and his condition was unknown.

 

He was an employee of Midway of Fun, the fair's operator.

 

DeArmon said people were on the ride when the man was struck.

 

The ride was closed for the rest of the day.

Edited July 3, 2010 by cfc

[Skycoastin Steve]

List of things to do today:

 

1. Fill up gas tank.

 

2. Buy milk, bread, and eggs.

 

3. Go to work.

 

4. Step in front of a moving roller coaster.

 

WHO WOULD BE STUPID ENOUGH TO STEP IN FRONT OF A MOVING ROLLER COASTER?!?!?!?!

[fatdaddy]

There's gotta be more to the story than that, you don't just jump in front of a roller coaster, unless your one of these jackasses who has to get their hat back.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Unless there was a child on the track and he was trying to save it, I can't think of one single, solitary reason to jump onto the track while the ride was moving. Even if it was something that could have damaged the ride and he was attempting to prevent it, it's not worth losing a leg over. My guess is something fell on the track and he thought he could grab it before the train got back. In that case, he's lucky he's still alive.

[ScottBrown]

There's gotta be more to the story than that, you don't just jump in front of a roller coaster, unless your one of these jackasses who has to get their hat back.

 

I don't know about that there was an Accident on Scream at SFMM where and employee was struck by a train a while back and I seem to remember there being an accident on Revolution as well that involved an employee as well

Edited June 24, 2010 by ScottBrown

[wumwip]

^

Wow... that's... horrible!

[fatdaddy]

^^So your point is that there are alot of brain damaged people who jump in front of roller coasters for no reason? At least with the hat thing, I know for a fact that there are a few people out there who have had their domes caved in after they jumped the fence to get their hat.

 

Nevermind, i don't really care, just hope there is more to the story than he was just a whack job.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^My point is, there shouldn't be any reason short of saving someone's life that you would even consider jumping in front of a moving roller coaster. In five years of working in the industry, you know how many close calls I've had? None. Zero. Zip. Nada. You know why? Because I understand that physics always wins, and when people do something incredibly idiotic like putting their body in front of a multi-ton moving vehicle, they're asking for it. I feel no sympathy whatsoever. And considering he's a carnie, it's not a shock that it happened, either.

[ScottBrown]

It happens there was a big train accident in Spain yesterday and 12 people were killed as a group of about 30 people crossed the tracks and were hit by an express train

[fatdaddy]

So, your saying the guy musta been from spain?

[ScottBrown]

^My point is, there shouldn't be any reason short of saving someone's life that you would even consider jumping in front of a moving roller coaster. In five years of working in the industry, you know how many close calls I've had? None. Zero. Zip. Nada. You know why? Because I understand that physics always wins, and when people do something incredibly idiotic like putting their body in front of a multi-ton moving vehicle, they're asking for it. I feel no sympathy whatsoever. And considering he's a carnie, it's not a shock that it happened, either.

 

I was in the industry for seven and also had not a single close call but I did learn in those years that people do lack good judgment at times, I am assuming he thought he could make it across the tracks before the train would get to him

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Bringing me back to why I don't feel sorry for him. Darwin was calling his name apparently.

[ScottBrown]

I never said I felt sorry for him, I feel sorry for the people on the coaster and anyone that witnessed it

[Skycoastin Steve]

^I'm definitely with you on that one. Stuff like this could traumatize young ones, which is probably why it angers me further.

[ScottBrown]

Yeah it doesn't help that it happened on a kiddie coaster does it that makes it alot worse

[BeemerBoy]

PMW always wins.

[HCLcoasters]

^ This accident is seeming more and more similar to a certain accident at SFoG...

[dandaman]

PMW always wins.

 

+ +

 

fo' LIFE.

[ansley]

It happens there was a big train accident in Spain yesterday and 12 people were killed as a group of about 30 people crossed the tracks and were hit by an express train

 

I read about this in the newspaper, and the sad thing is...there's a tunnel under the tracks you are suppose to take when you get off the other trains. However, these people decided to take the shortcut across the tracks!

 

Ted

[DerekRx]

How stoned do you have to be to not be able to avoid getting hit by a Wacky Worm? If they went any slower they'd be going backwards.

[cal1br3tto]

I read about this in the newspaper, and the sad thing is...there's a tunnel under the tracks you are suppose to take when you get off the other trains. However, these people decided to take the shortcut across the tracks!

 

Am I the only person who for a split second was imagining how and why you would put a tunnel underneath a Wacky Worm?

 

(Note to self: Reading posts thoroughly would be a good idea.)

[johncolon91]

I wish we were given the reason for why he decided to cross the tracks when the train was coming but it could have been something as stupid as a dare from a friend. Part of the problem is carnies have almost no training and I don't think they have very extensive training on safety compared to amusement parks. I don't know whether or not to feel bad for the guy since there has not been any official word on why he would walk in front of the coaster filled with passengers.

[johncolon91]

Am I the only person who for a split second was imagining how and why you would put a tunnel underneath a Wacky Worm?

 

I thought the same thing for a second but having a tunnel under the train in Spain made more sense.

[Angry_Gumball]

A phrase I always heard and stuck to since I was little: look both ways before you cross. Seriously, how could this have possibly happened? I mean, it's not like a Wacky Worm's plowing through at 60mph...

 

Found some video footage, just a shot of the coaster and the site of impact...Still trying to figure this out.

http://www.ktvu.com/video/24013621/index.html

 

Here's a tiny bit more meat to the story but still leaves a lot to be asked.

PETALUMA, Calif. -- The Sonoma-Marin Fair worker whose leg was severed when he was struck by a roller coaster Wednesday afternoon is in stable condition at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital today, his employer said.

 

The man's name has not been released but fair officials said he is an East Bay resident in his mid-20s.

 

The injured worker came out of surgery at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Harry Mason, CEO of Brass Ring Amusements' Midway of Fun, which operates the carnival at the Petaluma fair.

 

The worker was on the tracks of the "Wacky Worm" roller coaster about 5 feet above ground when he was struck around 2:20 p.m. Sonoma-Marin Fair officials and Mason say they have no idea why he was on the tracks.

 

"No one can figure it out," Mason said this morning. "He was not supposed to be in that restricted area. We're hoping for a speedy recovery."

 

Mason said he hopes to speak to the injured worker, who collects tickets at another ride at the fair, in a few days to find out what happened.

 

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health cleared the carnival ride Wednesday night and confirmed the man was properly trained.

 

"We're still very, very upset," Mason said. "In 30 years this has never happened."

 

Mason said the investigation into the incident is continuing but the ride will probably reopen today.

Source: http://www.ktvu.com/news/24012651/detail.html#

 

Why someone would be on track that's 5 feet above the ground is beyond me...maybe he was looking for such an incident just so he can press charges/law suit. Epic Fail is all I can say...

[johncolon91]

^ Great find with the video. I saw that the train was stopped mid circuit. Is that where it hit the guy or where they decided to shut it down? If so it looks like there is something fishy if he was in the center of the ride while it was operating. If it was at the station thats more understandable but in the middle of the circuit....just sounds odd.