Roller Coasters of Death by U.S. Consumer Product Safet...

CPSC staff believes that the roller coasters in the Santa Clara and Gurnee parks have been repaired to eliminate known defects.Īt the State Fair of Texas last October a Skyride accident resulted in the death of one man and injuries to 17 other persons when two of the Skyride's gondolas fell approximately 70 feet onto the midway area of the state fair. Unlike the Skyride complaint, the complaint against the Marriott Corporation does not call for the repair of defects in the Willard's Whizzers.

The complaint against the State Fair of Texas also seeks correction of existing defects in the Skyride. The law permits the Commission to seek civil penalties of as much as $500,000 from a company which fails to report to CPSC a defect that could create a substantial product hazard. A fatal accident occurred on March 29, 1980, at the Great America park in Santa Clara.īoth complaints charge that the corporations failed to report to CPSC in a timely fashion - as is required by law - potentially hazardous defects in the rides and previous accidents which have caused injuries to consumers. The second complaint was issued against the Marriott Corporation which owns and operates 'Willard's Whizzer' roller coasters at its Great America amusement parks located in Santa Clara, California (near San Jose), and Gurnee, Illinois (north of Chicago). A two-count complaint was issued against the owner and the operator of the 'Skyride' at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in connection with a fatal accident which occurred on October 21, 1979.

Roller Coasters of Death by U.S. Consumer Product Safet...