When Amanda Bostic rode a Daytona Beach roller coaster in 2018, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Her seatbelt clicked into place, and a park operator checked it before the ride began.
But Amanda remembers that the roller coaster was traveling faster than she felt comfortable with. At first, it was simply an uncomfortable feeling, but that quickly changed when the car reached its first curve.
Amanda felt as though the carriage was not fully attached to the rail. Then she began hearing metallic screeching and the screams of other passengers. She held tightly onto the handle and prayed for the ride to end.
But only seconds later, the carriage derailed.
Amanda was thrown into the air as the roller coaster came off the rail. Other passengers watched as she bounced around the structure from pillar to pillar, like a pinball.
Eventually, Amanda hit the ground. She had suffered bruises and cuts across her body, along with a concussion and broken teeth.
Despite the severity of the accident, Amanda survived.
The incident raised questions about the condition of the roller coaster and whether problems had been identified before the accident. Investigators discovered that authorities had pointed out safety problems with the ride two years earlier.
Among those concerns was excessive corrosion.
Although those complaints were addressed, Amanda remained convinced that something had gone wrong. She ended up in a terrible accident after the carriage derailed and threw her into the air.
The accident demonstrated how important maintenance and constant servicing are when it comes to roller coasters. Even when a passenger’s seatbelt is secured and an operator checks it, the condition of the ride itself remains critical.
Amanda’s experience began as a normal trip to a Daytona Beach amusement park. Her seatbelt was fastened, the operator had checked it, and the ride appeared ready to go.
Then the first curve arrived.
She heard the metallic screeching and the screams around her. Within seconds, the carriage had derailed, sending her through the structure before she finally hit the ground.
Amanda survived the accident, but she suffered bruises and cuts, a concussion and broken teeth.
Unfortunately, roller coasters are not the only amusement rides that can turn dangerous. Waterslides can also cause serious accidents, and one incident happened on one of the largest waterslides in the world.
