Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina.Photo:Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, has closed its Fury 325 roller coaster until further notice after a video of a crack in the ride has gone viral.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Carowinds' Director of Communications Courtney Weber said the park closed on Friday “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,” Weber added. “Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.”
Weber concluded, “As part of our comprehensive safety protocols, all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”
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He toldThe WashingtonPostthat the children rode the Fury 325 several times throughout the day, but it wasn’t until Wagner returned to the park after getting his vehicle from the parking lot to pick up the kids that he noticed the crack in the ride’s pillar.
“I was like, ‘Y’all need to shut this ride down. That’s bad news,' " he recalled to thePostof what he told a Carowinds employee — whom Wagner claimed had a “lack of urgency,” leading Wagner to flag other employees, one of whom asked him to send her video of the crack.
“The biggest thing for me,there was no sense of urgency,” Wagner said.
Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty
Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty
According to Wagner, the ride “could have come unhinged and just went like a steamroller through the parking lot, plowing over pedestrians and cars and anything in its path.”
But once the ride is repaired, Wagner said he will let his children ride and told thePost, “It might even be better, safer than it was before.”
Carowinds recentlycelebrated its 50th anniversary, having opened to about 6,000 patrons on March 31, 1973, with a single roller coaster: the Carolina Goldrusher.
The park refers to the Fury 325 as the “tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America,” in a descriptionon its official website.
source: people.com
