Branson roller coaster is reopened after accident severely injured 11-year-old boy
A roller coaster in Branson will be reopened after an accident last month severely injured an 11-year-old boy, Missouri state officials said Friday.
The Missouri Division of Fire Safety approved the reopening of the Branson Coaster almost three weeks after 11-year-old Aalondo Perry of Tennessee got caught under the ride June 20.
The ride had been closed after the accident, but the Amusement Ride Safety Unit has determined the ride is safe to operate. The determination came after the final inspection of several made by the safety unit, communications director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety Mike O’Connell said.
The Associated Press reported that Perry, who is visually impaired, fell while getting off the ride, according to his grandmother Shelandra Ford. The boy got caught under the rails of the roller coaster and the Branson fire Department took about 1 1/2 hours to rescue him, Ford said.
Aalondo’s legs and right arm were crushed in the accident, according to the AP report. Ford said doctors think the boy might lose his legs.
The Amusement Ride Safety Unit is still investigating the accident involving Aalondo. As part of the inspections to reopen the roller coaster they tested the ride’s operation, reviewed its procedures, examined and evaluated its critical components and interviewed the ride’s operator staff and witnesses.
The Branson Coaster is not the only popular ride where an accident has occurred this summer. Since May there have been six accidents at theme parks that have made the headlines across the country.
