Current:Home > ContactA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -StockLine
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-13 01:14:25
An amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, closed one of its roller coasters Friday after a crack was found on a support beam.
Carowinds shut down Fury 325, which the park's website advertises as the "tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America" that crosses into both North Carolina and South Carolina.
Video of the ride showed the crack in the beam as cars packed with riders whizzed by.
Park patron Jeremy Wagner told CBS Charlotte, N.C. affiliate WBTV he was the one who spotted the crack and took the video.
He said he was waiting for his kids to finish one last ride on the coaster when, "I look up and I see a light come through the pole."
When the next car came by, he pulled out his phone and videoed it.
Wagner told WBTV what he saw when he played it back sent a shock through his chest.
"When the car came by," he said, "I saw (the beam) move."
Posted by Jeremy Wagner on Friday, June 30, 2023
(Credit: Jeremy Wagner via Storyful)
He told The New York Times that as he was shooting the video, "My hands were shaking because I knew how quick this could be catastrophic."
Wagner told WBTV he immediately showed the video to park security to have them shut the ride but didn't get a clear answer on whether park officials would. But Wagner eventually called the fire department and learned that his video did indeed prompt the shutdown of the Fury.
"My heart was like relieved because I was just afraid ... are they gonna do the right thing? I just didn't want to see something bad happen," he remarked to WBTV.
"It takes one time, just one time" for tragedy to strike, he said.
Tiffany Collins Newton told CBS News that on June 24, she took a photo that appeared to show "the beginnings of the crack" on the roller coaster. She said she did not notice the crack until after the ride was closed on Friday and she zoomed in on her recent photos.
The park said in a statement that it shut the ride "after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar. The park's maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed. Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.
"As part of our comprehensive safety protocols," the statement continued, "all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity."
Fury 325 first opened to the public in 2015 and cost approximately $30 million to build, according to news reports.
Carowinds didn't say how long repairs would take. The rest of the park will remain open.
State officials said they were going to inspect the ride Monday.
veryGood! (279)
Related
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- North Korean IT workers in US sent millions to fund weapons program, officials say
- 'Fighting for her life': NYC woman shoved into subway train, search for suspect underway
- How does Google passkey work? Kiss your passwords goodbye with this new tool
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- University of Virginia says campus shooting investigation finished, findings to be released later
- T-Mobile is switching some customers to pricier plans. How to opt out of the price increase.
- Florida man found guilty of killing wife over her refusal to go on home renovation show
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- China sends an envoy to the Middle East in a sign of its ambition to play a larger role
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Israeli reservists in US leave behind proud, worried families
- Lafayette Parish Schools elevate interim superintendent to post permanently
- Judge temporarily halts Trump's limited gag order in election interference case
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Woman’s dog accidentally eats meth while on walk, she issues warning to other pet owners
- Are there melatonin side effects? What to know about the sleep aid's potential risks.
- 3 charged after mistaken ID leads to Miami man's kidnapping, torture, prosecutors say
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
No gun, no car, no living witnesses against man charged in Tupac Shakur killing, defense lawyer says
New Mexico governor heads to Australia to talk with hydrogen businesses
Maren Morris Shares Message on Facing What's Necessary Amid Ryan Hurd Divorce
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
60,000 gun safes recalled after shooting death
Oklahoma attorney general sues to stop US’s first public religious school
New Mexico governor heads to Australia to talk with hydrogen businesses