Roller coaster accident injures 5-year-old boy

An unofrtunate accident on a Coney Island roller coaster has left a 5-year-old with a broken leg and possibly other injuries; and some safety officials are questioning why the roller coaster did not have more safety measures to prevent such a thing from happening.

The 5-year-old boy was in one of the roller coaster cars with his 8-year-old sister. The roller coaster car had a bar that locked in the passengers. However, before the ride could get going, the 5-year-old boy got scared and wanted to get off the roller coaster. He was able to squeeze underneath the safety bar and tried to leave the car. His sister held on for a bit to try and help her brother; but she couldn’t keep him in the car.

The 5-year-old plunged from the car and broke his leg. He was rushed to a hosiptal by ambulance.

It does not appear the roller coaster was at fault. Investigators found “no violations” on the part of the roller coaster, and the ride has not been cited in the last 15 years of general maintenance and safety inspections.

However, there are some officials that are questioning the ride. A single bar for passenger safety hardly lives up to the current possibilities for roller coaster technology. A seatbelt or harness could have secured the young boy to the car, ensuring that he was unable to wriggle free and hurt himself.

Roller coasters and amusement parks are often held responsible for patron injuries through a premises liability lawsuit if their facilities failed to maintain safety rules and protocols.