Dad who noticed crack on roller coaster

July 6, 2023

The dad who spotted a crack in the support pillar of a popular North Carolina roller coaster says there was “no sense of urgency” from employees to shut down the perilous ride.

Jeremy Wagner took a video of a giant crack he discovered in a support beam of the Fury 325 giga roller coaster at the Carowinds Amusement Park in Charlotte on Friday — but when he rushed to alert workers inside the park of the dangerous discovery they were slow to react.

“There was no sense of urgency,” Wagner told Fox 8. “That was what really concerned me.”

The concerned father, whose daughter and niece rode the crumbling coaster eight times that day, said he first showed the video to an elderly parking attendant after recording the dangerous situation unfolding from outside the park.

Jeremy Wagner took a video of a giant crack he discovered in a support beam of the Fury 325 giga roller coaster at the Carowinds Amusement Park.

After the parking attendant said he didn’t see anything — even as light shines through the giant crack in the beam — Wagner went on to speak to three other park employees.

The fourth employee he spoke to in guest services had him airdrop the video of the crack moving to her phone and reassured Wagner she would send the video to someone.

She then walked away from him, he recalled.

While the ride was eventually shut down, Wagner says if it wasn’t, the hundreds of park guests walking on the ground near the ride — as well as those riding the roller coaster — could have been crushed if it came crashing down.

Wagner said he hasn’t heard anything from the park since the terrifying incident, but plans to go back sometime next week.

Officials with Carowinds Amusement Park said in a statement that Fury 325 — the world’s tallest and fastest giga roller coaster — shuttered after park personnel were notified of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar.

The park’s maintenance team is conducting an inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs are made.

“Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process,” Carowinds’ statement to Fox 8 read in part. “As part of our comprehensive safety protocols, all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”