Magic Mountain Coaster Remains Closed After Derailment, But Thrillseekers Are Undeterred
VALENCIA (CBSLA.com) — A roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia remained closed Tuesday after a terrifying accident that hospitalized four people.
Part of the Ninja coaster derailed Monday evening, leaving 22 passengers danging about 30 feet in the air.
KCAL9's Louisa Hodge reports people are nervous, but it's not stopping some thrillseekers.
Kate Stone traveled from Idaho with her father for her first trip to the theme park.
And while it's hard to shake the images of the front car hanging from the tracks, she says she wasn't deterred from enjoying the family trip.
"It would have made me so scared to be hanging by a tree 30 feet up," Kate said, but she "doesn't think" it will stop her from going on rides.
"I was wondering if my daughter, Kate, would still want to go," said her father, David Stone. "We've had this plan for about a week."
Fire officials said around 5:30 Monday a pine tree snapped and one of the branches collapsed on the track, dislodging the No. 1 car, which held onto the ride by its clamp to the No. 2 car.
Passengers were stranded for nearly three hours, with rescue teams using ladders, rigs and cherry pickers to get them down safely.
Four passengers went to the hospital with minor injuries. Eighteen others were treated and released at the scene.
The Ninja takes riders on a track at speeds of 55 mph and riders hang from the car and are swung 90 degrees in each direction.
Still, roller coaster enthusiast Elsa Duarte, who was at the park Tuesday, said the ordeal will not stop her from seeking out a scarier ride.
"When we went on it, it was very fast. You're going close to all of the poles and the trees, so, I mean, it is scary," she said.
"It's actually kind of scary and also weird that it happened the day before we are going. But you can't let it put a damper on the trip," she said.
Six Flags park officials maintain that safety is the No. 1 priority for their guests and their employees.
They say the Ninja ride will remain closed while the investigation continues.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
RELATED STORY:
4 Injured On Six Flags Magic Mountain Ride That Hit Fallen Tree