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May 22, 2006
:: Wild Thing Derails
Wild Thing, Valleyfair's biggest rollercoaster-thrillride, derailed yesterday. Several people were sent to the hospital and treated for muscle strains and sprains. According to the StarTribune:
The accident happened about 4:25 p.m. as the roller coaster train was slowing as it approached the ride station. One of the cars somehow separated from the train, Von Bank said.
Bailey Merchant, 12, of Shakopee, said she was in the rear car when the middle car began jerking and smoking. She said the car "fell right off the track" and made the last car turn over.
"We were jerked and twisted, and it started to hurt really badly," Bailey said as she left the hospital.
Her mother, Tracy Theis, said a nurse at St. Francis called to tell her of the accident. "It's very scary," she said. "You don't ever want to get that phone call."
Katelyn Churchich, 16, of Oakdale, who was treated for neck and back pains, said she was in the middle car when it happened.
"It started jerking and moving around, like, not right," she said. "We kind of heard scratching, and we didn't know anything was wrong until we smelled metal grinding ... and when we looked back one of the cars was tilted on its side."
One of the injuries was diagnosed as a possible mild concussion. None of the riders were "ejected" from the ride...they just got jolted badly...no good for a ride that goes 75 mph!
I thought I would be making a trip to Valleyfair again soon...I haven't been there for about 7 years or so. This has changed my mind: The park later said in a statement that two sensor faults caused the computerized safety system to shut down the ride twice Saturday. Both times, it said, maintenance staff found no problems and the ride was reopened. The ride was shut down for 10 minutes less than two hours before Sunday's accident for a routine inspection, but no problems were noted, the statement said.
Sensors going off enough to shut the ride down twice in a day? Sounds like the derail could maybe have been averted. Here is a link to the Strib's story on the accident. Here is a link to Valleyfair.
Posted by pierre at May 22, 2006 10:39 AM
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