Disneyland ride closed after accident
Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride was closed indefinitely today following an accident that left three people needing hospital treatment.
The roller coaster attraction had re-opened in March, six months after a California man was killed when the open rail car in which he was riding crashed into the train’s derailed locomotive. Ten other people were hurt in the accident last September.
State safety inspectors were today investigating a two-train collision that occurred on Thursday at the ride’s loading dock.
A 10-year-old boy and his parents, aged 42 and 44, were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor back and neck injuries, according to the Anaheim Fire Department.
September’s fatal accident was caused by faulty maintenance, state safety officials concluded.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad re-opened in March but was closed for several hours in April following a test with no passengers on board.
One train was badly damaged, and state officials ordered Disney to retrain operators of the ride, which simulates a runaway mining train in the Old West.
Twenty-four people have claimed injuries from the ride since mid-2001, the state reported last year.
