NEWS: 7 Plunge From Derailed Coaster

[Twister II]

http://www.comcast.net/news/national/index.jsp?cat=DOMESTIC&fn=/2006/03/12/344114.html&cvqh=itn_rollercoaster

 

MIAMI - Seven carnival workers fell from a roller coaster Sunday while testing the ride for the upcoming Miami-Dade County Fair, authorities said.

 

The Mark 1 roller coaster was being tested by representatives of the ride's owner, North American Midway Entertainment, said Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue Lt. Roman Bas.

 

"One of the carts seemed to have jumped off the tracks or was derailed," Bas said. "As a result, it looked like the cart kind of tipped over and the individuals fell out of the cart."

 

Two of the riders were airlifted in stable condition to a trauma center, two others were hospitalized in stable condition, and three were treated at the fairgrounds and released, Bas said. It wasn't clear how far they fell.

 

State inspectors had not yet checked the ride because it was still being set up, said Liz Compton, spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture. The accident is under investigation, she said.

 

"These weren't patrons, so we know they weren't standing up or goofing off," Compton said.

 

Company inspectors could not immediately determine what caused the cart to derail, said safety consultant Jim Barber.

 

The roller coaster will be replaced by another ride before the fair opens Thursday, fair spokeswoman Bernadette Kopacz said.

 

Seven people were injured at the fair in 2004 when a ride, "The Gravitron," broke apart while it was running. A state agricultural official blamed the accident on a sheared bolt that failed to hold a piece of paneling in place.

[Carnage]

"These weren't patrons, so we know they weren't standing up or goofing off," Compton said.

 

That's kind of an odd blanket statement. Just because they're employee's doesn't mean they're angels.

 

Just look at the death in Korea.

 

Glad no one was killed or hurt seriously though. These carnival accidents always make me uneasy to go to one of them.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Um, right. Yeah, great.

 

And I just picked up a discount coupon for the PlayDome Carnival coming this St.Patrick'sDay weekend to town... (a $20 Cdn. daypass now...$17!)

 

Hmmm.

 

Well, we'll see. There's probably not a coaster in the bunch-o-rides comin' this way. But - ya never know, hmm?

 

 

Hope the workers all got thru it, okay.

[ACEfanatic02]

Um... it derailed?

 

The only way that would happen is if the track wasn't aligned correctly or if the trains had faulty/loose wheels. You'd think they'd check that before actually riding it, wouldn't you? Does anyone pay attention to safety regulations anymore?

 

Oh, and does anyone else notice that people there tend to be injured in sevens? Sorry, just stood out to me...

 

-ACE

[DenDen]

I recorded the news report here in Fort Lauderdale. (WMF, trying to compress it to a viable size to offer in email.) Though i saw another report on another station (i didn't record it) that showed the 1st car flipped upsidedown, resting on the track.