Father Notices Crack in Roller Coaster as His Family Rode It: "Y'all Need to Shut This Ride Down"

Part of the appeal many people find when it comes to roller coasters? They are scary and feel dangerous without actually being dangerous. According to National Safety Council's latest ride safety report for IAAPA, there were an estimated 130 serious ride-related injuries at North American theme parks in 2021. In fact, the odds of being seriously injured on a fixed-site ride at a U.S. amusement park are 1 in 15.5 million rides taken. Recently the "tallest, fastest, longest gigga coaster in North America" was shut down. Why? One father noticed a crack in it. 

Jeremy Wagner took his family to the Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. While watching the Fury 325 ride zip around overhead, he noticed an expanding crack, begging employees to shut it down. "I was like, 'Y'all need to shut this ride down. That's bad news,'" he said. 

"It could have come unhinged and just went like a steamroller through the parking lot, plowing over pedestrians and cars and anything in its path," he told The Washington Post. Ultimately, his report shut down the 1.25-mile ride, which reaches 95 mph and climbs to  325 feet before plunging down into an 81-degree drop and a 190-foot-tall barrel turn. His biggest issue with the handling of the situation was there was "no sense of urgency," he said. 

While driving home, he left a message on the park's automated phone system. Then, he called the fire department in Carowinds's jurisdiction. They contacted the park and called him back later, telling him the ride was shut down. He plans on allowing his family to ride it when it reopens. "It might even be better, safer than it was before," he said.

Carowinds explained in a statement said the park's maintenance crew is conducting "a thorough inspection" of the ride, which will "remain closed until repairs have been completed." They have yet to give an estimated reopening date. 

"Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process," spokesperson Courtney Weber wrote in a statement to The Post. "As part of our comprehensive safety protocols, all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity."