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Five hurt in roller-coaster collision at N.H. Park
By David Arnold, Globe Staff, and Diana Raschke, Globe Correspondent, 07/28/01
SALEM, N.H. -- A rear-end collision between two cars at Canobie Lake Park yesterday provided some harrowing moments for passengers, five of whom suffered minor injuries, and once again put a harsh spotlight on New England roller coasters and their safety record. The accident occurred on the Yankee Cannonball, a 2,000-foot long ride. One train had started up the 55-foot-hill of the 65-year-old wooden trestle gridwork when a second train, entering the loading area to discharge passengers, failed to stop. Park officials said the second train slowed down, but at least one eyewitness had a different account. "It never slowed down, not even a little bit," said Kevin MacLean of North Andover. He was next in line and preparing to board with his children Katrina, 11, and Patrick, 7, when the errant train rolled by. "No one in the first train knew what was coming. Everyone in the second train was screaming," MacLean said. The trains, each with 18 passengers aboard, collided, injuring four men and a 10-year-old boy, all in the second train. They were taken to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen where two were treated and released, and three were held for further tests. The injured men, whom officials declined to identify, were 37, 40, 43, and 67 years old. "We were lucky. It was an event that could have been tragic," said Salem Deputy Fire Chief Paul Parisi. It has not been smooth riding on area coasters of late. On June 13, a maintenance worker was struck and killed by the Boulderdash roller coaster at the Lake Compounce theme park in Bristol, Conn. A day later at the same park, 26 passengers were left stranded aboard the Zoomerang roller coaster. The incident at Canobie Lake Park was yet one more reason for the federal government to have a hand in inspecting thrill rides, said US Representative Edward Markey, a Malden Democrat. "I believe that parents should be guaranteed that the safety oversight of amusement park rides is at least as thorough as the safety oversight we currently provide for toasters," Markey said. He introduced legislation in April that would set standards for rides, perform inspections and investigations, and recall unsafe equipment. The Yankee Cannonball and other park rides are inspected annually by the New Hampshire Department of Safety, and daily by park employees, said Thomas Morrow, operations manager for Canobie Lake Park. The Cannonball, he said, has "a very good safety record." At 1:15 p.m., one train had started up the first incline at about 2 miles per hour when the second train, just finishing the ride, crashed into it, he said. Both trains, each with three cars, are designed not to roll backwards and locked in place part way up the incline. All the passengers then got out and walked down without incident, Morrow said. In an era of ever faster roller coaster rides, some surpassing 100 miles per hour, the Cannonball tops out at 35 miles per hour, its greatest asset the old fashioned nature of its ride, according to passengers. The coaster will be closed until state and park inspectors determine what went wrong. But it may not convince some riders. "I won't take my kids on it when it reopens," MacLean said. "I am going to put my faith in newer technology." |
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