The same roller coaster that sent nine people to the hospital Thursday night failed a state inspection for a litany of problems, including excessive corrosion, cracked bracing and damaged rail cars.
Newly obtained reports show the Sand Blaster Rollercoaster failed state inspection on May 17, due to eight listed deficiencies. Those included three problems with the "carrier/tubs" and three structural deficiencies.
The inspection failure apparently prompted the state to stop operation of the ride until a followup inspection was completed.
That followup inspection conducted Thursday – just a few hours before the accident – shows the state removed the stop operation order: "Removed Stop Op #7792." The report simply states “deficiencies corrected."
First Coast News reached out to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for clarification about what the second inspection found. A third inspection order, opened yesterday, was initiated following the accident.
Stay with First Coast News for more on this developing story.
