In a disastrous turn of events, a rollercoaster at Alton Towers injured several people Tuesday afternoon in the United Kingdom. The ride is called The Smiler at Alton Towers, and the accident happened when two rail cars collided. Likewise, two men and two women were severely injured in this rare theme park accident. At the time of the crash, there were 16 passengers onboard the rollercoaster when the carriages hit one another that were thought to be on a test run. This latest accident raises the question to many, how actually safe are rollercoasters?
Although theme park accidents and fatalities are far and few between, they do happen. One of the worst UK rollercoaster accidents happened at Battersea Park in 1972 when a malfunction caused one car to hurdle backward. In that incident, five children were killed, and 13 others were injured. Again on July 2006, 29 people were injured in an accident on a Runaway Mine Train roller coaster at Alton Towers as well. The front carriage broke loose and rolled back towards the other riders. Additionally, in April 2004, a woman died on a ride after she fell 100 ft to her death on The Hydro ride at the Oakwood Theme Park. Sadly, the woman’s safety harness did not hold her in the ride when she fell.
If you or a loved one were injured at an amusement park, the skilled St. Louis personal injury attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth can help. Please contact us today for a free consultation regarding your potential premises liability case.How Safe Are Rollercoasters?