Spending the evening at the amusement park can be a great way for families to enjoy time together. In order for the experience to be as fun as possible, however, amusement rides must be properly maintained for the safety of all patrons.
New York investigators are looking into a horrifying incident that left a 5-year-old boy seriously injured. According to reports, the young boy was riding a roller coaster at a Coney Island park when he suddenly became afraid. He apparently slipped under the lap belt and jumped from the moving car. His parents looked on as his leg was badly sliced when it became caught between the rail and the car’s wheel.
Initially, it was feared that the boy’s injuries would require amputation, but an official from the amusement park said that the radical medical procedure wouldn’t be necessary. The hope is that more answers are found as the boy recovers.
A statement from the amusement park indicated that regular safety checks were conducted on the kiddie roller coaster, but how was it that the boy was able to slip through the safety belt? He apparently met height requirements, so it will be important to determine if all the necessary safety precautions were taken before the ride started.
Reports indicate that the boy and his family had visited the amusement park on multiple occasions, so it will be important to determine what went wrong during their most recent visit. If it’s determined that the ride was unsafe, the family may want to find out if a premises liability claim could help cover the damages caused by the accident.
Source: The New York Daily News, “Horror at Coney Island as boy, 5, is hurt in unexplained leap from roller coaster,” Chelsea Rose Marcius, Mark Morales and Thomas Tracy, Aug. 14, 2013
