2 riders fall 34 feet when Daytona Beach roller coaster derails
10 rescued; 6 hospitalized, 2 with traumatic injuries
Nick Jones, Senior producer
Associated Press
Daytona Beach Fire Department
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Two riders fell 34 feet to the ground when a roller coaster derailed and eight others had to be pulled to safety high above the Daytona Beach Boardwalk.
Daytona Beach Fire spokeswoman Sasha Staton says the front car came off the tracks Thursday night, and two of its four passengers suffered traumatic injuries falling to the ground. Firefighters extricated two others from the dangling car using a ladder truck.
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She says six of the 10 riders were hospitalized Thursday night at Halifax Health. She said the extent of their injuries wasn’t immediately known.
Staton said the cause of the accident is being investigated.
#DBFD on scene at the Boardwalk in Daytona Beach rescuing riders from a roller coaster car that derailed and are hanging pic.twitter.com/BFDRa8hFiI
— DaytonaBeachFireDept (@DaytonaBeachFD) June 15, 2018
The Daytona Beach News Journal reported the roller coaster is 40 years old. It opened on the Boardwalk in August 2013 after it was relocated from a closed amusement park in Delaware.
UPDATE | Daytona Beach Fire Department says 10 riders rescued, 6 taken to hospital after roller coaster derails. (Video: Kinzie Hicks)
Copyright 2018 by WJXT News4Jax. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
