Photo credit: Landmark Forest Adventure Park
An amusement park is being sued after its popular roller coaster lost its grip and derailed mid-ride.
There’s a reason roller coaster accidents always make headlines – they’re so rare that they’re worth talking about. Whether it’s Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios, or another theme park, each location builds its attractions according to strict regulations to ensure everyone’s safety.
However, sometimes things can still go wrong. This could be due to human error, technical glitches, disregard for the rules by guests who are there for their own safety – or sometimes a little bit of all of the above.
For example, when the Universal Studios Hollywood tram crash occurred earlier this year during a regular ride on the famous Universal Studio Tour – 15 passengers were hospitalized with “minor to moderate injuries” – the cause was attributed to a problem with the brakes. According to the California Highway Patrol, the tram collided with a metal railing, “causing it to tilt and eject several passengers.”
The fatal accident at ICON Park in March 2022 was also caused by a seat belt sensor that had been “manually loosened, adjusted and tightened” to allow taller guests to use the Orlando FreeFall free fall tower. When 14-year-old Tyre Sampson used the attraction, the seat belt was not in the correct position to protect him, causing him to eventually slip out of his seat during the ride.
This week there was an update on another incident at a theme park – this time, however, the cause was a defect in the attraction.
The incident occurred in August 2021 at the Landmark Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge, Inverness-shire. The park’s popular, now-closed Runaway Timber Train lost a set of wheels mid-ride and slid off the tracks toward the ground, leaving guests dangling. Two children were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
According to The Scottish Sun, the father of one victim – both of whom suffered neck injuries, whiplash and psychological trauma – said: “The journey was at its peak when I heard a bang, saw smoke and a pair of wheels flew off one of the carriages. We could see that our daughters were terrified and in pain. I genuinely thought my girl was going to die.”
Now court documents claim that bosses were told in February 2014 – a full seven years before the accident – that there might be a crack in the main support shaft that connects to the wheels. There had already been incidents in England and India.
The families of both victims (who have made a full physical recovery) have now filed a five-figure lawsuit against Landmark Forest Adventure Park.
Runaway Timber Train has not reopened since the incident. A spokesperson for the park confirmed in December 2021 that it would remain closed. “We are sad to say goodbye to one of our long-standing attractions, the Runaway Timber Train,” they said. “It was due to be replaced in a few years, but we have made the decision to replace it sooner than originally planned.”
Landmark Forest Adventure Park is Scotland’s most popular theme park and offers a variety of nature-inspired attractions including Wild Water Coasters, Red Squirrel Trail and Dinosaur Kingdom.
Do you think theme parks are doing enough to ensure the safety of their guests?
