Current:Home > NewsFastexy:A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -Prime Capital Blueprint
Fastexy:A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
Chainkeen Exchange View
Date:2025-04-06 16:49:04
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! (65269)
Related
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Hurricane watch issued for Beryl in Texas
- Key players: Who’s who at Alec Baldwin’s trial for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer
- How police rescued a woman from a ritual killing amid massive Mexican trafficking network
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- 4 killed in shooting at Kentucky home; suspect died after vehicle chase, police say
- Aaron Judge's personal hitting coach takes shot at Yankees' player development system
- The most luxurious full-size pickup trucks on the market
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- 10-year veteran Kevin Pillar says he's likely to retire after 2024 MLB season
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Vying for West Virginia Governor, an ‘All of the Above’ Democrat Faces Long Odds Against a Republican Fossil Fuel Booster
- Even the kitchen sink: Snakes and other strange items intercepted at TSA checkpoints
- John Cena announces his retirement from professional wrestling after 2025 season
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- 3 rescued, 1 sought in Lake Erie in Ohio after distress call, Coast Guard says
- The Daily Money: Nostalgia toys are big business
- Teen killed by police in New York to be laid to rest
Recommendation
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
Why My Big Fat Fabulous Life's Whitney Way Thore Is Accepting the Fact She Likely Won't Have Kids
Beryl regains hurricane strength as it bears down on southern Texas
Travis Kelce Joined by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes at Taylor Swift's Amsterdam Eras Tour Show
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Residents in Wisconsin community return home after dam breach leads to evacuations
Netherlands into Euro 2024 semifinal against England after beating Turkey
Street medics treat heat illnesses among homeless people as temperatures rise