Fifteen people suffered minor injuries Friday evening when a roller coaster train rear-ended second train that was stopped on the tracks at Disney's California Adventure, marking the first significant accident at the Anaheim theme park.
The crash occurred around 6:39 p.m. on the California Screamin' ride, a popular roller coaster designed to propel riders through a silhouette of Mickey Mouse's head. The trains, each carrying 24 passengers, were about to reach the end of the ride, at a point when both vehicles were supposed to stop.
The train in the front completed the stop as scheduled, but the train in rear continued going, hitting the first vehicle, said John Nicoletti, a spokesman for the city of Anaheim. Officials said they don't know why the second train malfunctioned, but investigators from the state officials were at the park investigating.
Nicoletti said the impact of the crash appeared to be minor. None of the 15 people taken to hospital - 13 adults and two minors - appeared to have serious injuries, he said.
"There was not a great amount of damage to the cars. It was like a fender bender," he said. "It does not appear that the ride was going very fast."
About 100 firefighters from Anaheim and surrounding cities descended on the theme park, along with 18 ambulances. Most of the passengers were about get out of their trains and walk to safety on their own using the roller coaster's catwalk. Eights passengers were situated on a higher point on the ride, with their car leaning at a 45 degree angle, and could not access the catwalks. So firefighters helped them descend the 15 feet to the ground using ladders.
Some of the riders complained of neck and back pain, said Michael Simpson, dispatcher for Metronet, which covers the Anaheim Fire Department. Firefighters could be seen placing neck braces on some riders.
