Screenshot of a video shot by Jeremy Wagner showing the crack at the top of the steel support column on the Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds in Charlotte, NC
Jeremy Wagner/NPR Screenshot
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Jeremy Wagner/NPR Screenshot
An amusement park in Charlotte, NC, has closed its roller coaster after discovering a crack in a steel support, park officials said.
The crack was visible on the Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds almost a week ago, according to an image shared by a visitor on social media. On Friday, crack video seems to indicate that the pillar has been completely severed.
Carowinds said in a statement that all rides are checked daily. But it wasn’t until Friday that the park closed Fury 325 for inspection.
“The park’s maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs are complete,” the park said in an email on Sunday.
A spokesman for the Department of Labor said inspectors from the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Equipment Bureau plan to be at the park on Monday to investigate.
Park Description Fury 325 — named for its maximum height of 325 feet — is “the tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America,” reaching speeds of up to 95 mph. A “giga” roller coaster of 300-399 feet in height or with a slope within those limits, according to Coasterpedia.
After news of the crack went viral online, recent parker Tiffany Collins Newton posted close-up photos of the roller coaster she said she took on June 24. , showing what she believes to be a crack starting to form.
“Looks like it’s just getting started,” Newton said in a Facebook post. “Or am I crazy?!”
Former paramedic Jeremy Wagner say on Facebook that he reported the crack to park officials on Friday. He told WBTV he was waiting for his children when the damage was discovered. In a video he shot, a motorcyclist’s car sped through the gap, causing the top of a pillar to shift.
“I looked up and saw a light shining through the pole,” he told the local news station. When the next car passed, he said, “I see it moving.”
No damage related injuries have been reported.
“Things happen,” Newton wrote. “I just hope this leads to MANY more extensive safety checks and inspections in the future.”
After Fury was repaired, Newton said she still plans to hop on the ride again.
