Twenty-five people suffered minor injuries after two trains collided following an emergency stop!
Accidents
Theme parks and roller coasters are statistically very, very, very safe. Out of the millions of people who ride the thousands of rides every year, there are only a small handful of incidents. You are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident driving to an amusement park than having one at a park. The rarity of accidents is one reason why the media report them, similar to plane crashes.
Every important element of a ride is inspected on a regular basis and every ride is tested every day without passengers before it opens. A ride might not open, or a safety system might activate, if there is an imperfection. For theme parks to operate, they must obtain insurance and one stipulation is their rides are frequently inspected and signed off by a strict Health & Safety governing body. Every theme park does what they can to prevent accidents because the negative press would be bad for business.
Having said all that, theme park accidents still happen…
Storybook Land Canal, Disneyland, Anaheim, California, USA
A young boy lost the top of his thumb after trapping it between the boat and the station.
Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Four riders were injured by flying debris when the launch cable snapped.
Magnum Force, Flamingoland, Yorkshire, England, UK
A 32-year-old ride op was airlifted to hospital after stepping in front of a moving train. Source
Superman Ride of Steel, Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts, USA
A 55-year-old man was ejected from the ride mid-ride and died from severe injuries.
Hydro, Oakwood, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
A 16-year-old girl died after falling 100 feet due to to rider error and, to some extent, inappropriate restraints. Source
Scream, Six Flags Magic Mountain, California, USA
A female employee was struck by a train as she crossed the track in a restricted area.
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
A worker was killed when he was struck by a float from the parade.
Men In Black, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, USA
A boy seriously injured his foot after he kept sticking it outside the car.
Steel Dragon, Nagashima Spaland, Nagashima, Japan
Two riders were injured when the train derailed following a wheel coming loose.