An amusement park in Charlotte, N.C., shut down a roller coaster after a crack was discovered in a steel support pillar, park officials said.
The crack was visible in the Fury 325 coaster at Carowinds almost a week ago, according to a visitor’s photos shared on social media. On Friday, video of the fissure appeared to show that the pillar had become fully severed.
Carowinds said in a statement that all rides are inspected 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 have been completed,” the park said in an email on Sunday.
Inspectors from the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau plan to be at the park on Monday to investigate, said a department spokesperson.
The park describes Fury 325 — named after its maximum height of 325 feet — as the “tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America,” that reaches speeds up to 95 mph. A “giga” roller coaster is between 300-399 feet in height or has a drop within those limits, according to Coasterpedia.
Read more at NPR.org
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