Accident at Universal

A boy got his leg caught between the ride and ride platform while riding MIB, and may have to have a toe amputated.

http://www.local6.com/news/2751813/detail.html

It appears to be a mistake on the part of the rider, but I'm sure the park will take some serious heat for this. All in all I just hope everybody is ok.

Wow. The article doesn't give much info other than the basics but I hope the boy is OK. :-( As far as the park taking the heat we will have to see. I have a feeling there will be a settlement no matter who's fault it is.

-Tina

*** Edited 1/10/2004 12:07:14 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

"Universal Studios told Local 6 News that there is no indication that the ride malfunctioned."

MIB has an easily activated lazer sensor that preforms an automatic E-stop anytime a foot is outside of the RV. Unless this safety feature has been removed or disengaged sense the rides opening year when I became familiar with it, I don't think Universal's statement is true at all.

Maybe it's all Will Smith's fault;>)

EDIT-didn't change my post. Only changed the word "a" to "an". *** Edited 1/10/2004 3:18:55 AM UTC by dexter***

Why was his foot there? And again, where were his 'parental units'? Another case of 'not my fault'.

Realistically minor in the range of what injuries could result, but nevertheless significant with how the media will react. Very likely just a case of the kid wanting to get a better shot and stepping where he shouldn't have been.

It sounds as if this accident is similiar to the one on BTMRR at Disneyland. I can see how it is easy to stick your foot out of those vehicles.

wow will people ever learn this is not the first time this has happened

Maybe I am wrong, but I remember my ex-roomate (who was a lead on MIB at the time) talking a lot about the ride. I also spent a lot of time riding it. I could be remembering things wrong (shrug).

So I take it that F-OSHA will probably do an investigation on the ride now and it will be down for a few days. Well as long as they have it back up by March then I don't care - from the looks of things the boy was at fault.

Hmm 9 days into the new year and we already have a "not my fault" case on our hands. *sigh*

I'm trying to visualize it (and crap, I was only there six weeks ago), but is the car that recessed from the platform and that flush with it? I could swear that you had to step into the cars.

I know that the back row has to be stepped up into, J. I don't recall the front.

Thats to bad but all I can say is Im glad that its the boys rather then the parks fault but its all speculation until we get a report.

Didn't the same thing happen about a year ago?

I'd think they would have done something about the basic platform design to prevent that.....

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I don't think they can do anything more, kids with parents and common sense don't have "accidents" at theme parks.

*** Edited 1/10/2004 7:54:57 PM UTC by Ross McColl***

That ride is cool. I dont see how that coulda happened, unless the kid unbuckled his seat belt and stuck out his foot. I dont see how it would be Universal's fault.

Can it be any more clear than, "Keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times"?

It doesn't sound that complicated but boy can people screw it up.

The front row is flush with the loading platform. Don't they have those huge stiff brushes at the unload platform to prevent accidents like that?

I hope the ride is open in early beb when we go to universal studios. I have never been on mib before.

The thing I hate is that they have a video before you get on the ride telling not to do this kinda of things when you are on. Yea it is easy to get out of your seat if you don't pull the yellow line for the people and they don't check your seat belt they just ask everyone to pull up on the yellow line that is on your seat belt. I think this boy was showing off and got hurt.

Why is it so hard to prevent an accident like this? Especially when a similar thing happened at Disney not so long ago?

The accident happened in the unloading platform. Since people exit the ride there, I don't think it's any stretch to imagine the boy thought it was time to exit and attempted to do so. He was eleven years old. My, how quick enthusiasts are to blame people who get injured even when the accident should have been prevented in the first place.

-Nate