Riders Plunge 34 Feet, Others Hurt After Roller Coaster Derails
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Authorities say two riders fell 34 feet to the ground when a roller coaster derailed and eight others had to be pulled to safety high above the Daytona Beach Boardwalk.
Daytona Beach Fire spokeswoman Sasha Staton says the front car came off the tracks Thursday night. "There was 10 riders on a chain of three cars, two of which fell out of the front car to the ground from approximately a 34-foot height. The other two were dangling from the front car," she said.
The two passengers that fell to the ground suffered traumatic injuries. Firefighters extricated two others from the dangling car.
She says six of the 10 riders were hospitalized Thursday night. The extent of their injuries wasn't immediately known.
The ride, called the Sand Blaster, is a three-car, sit down ride that opened in 2013. A report by the Daytona Beach News Journal revealed the ride was sidelined last year after an inspector discovered more than a dozen safety violations.
Staton says the cause of the accident on Thursday is being investigated.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
