Last Saturday, more than a dozen people sustained injuries following a shocking tram accident at Universal Studios Hollywood. The crew from the Los Angeles County Fire Department immediately responded at around 9pm.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported about 15 injuries, and thankfully not life-threatening. It has been suspected that mechanical failure was the culprit that resulted in the unexpected accident.
Guests Hurt During Tram Tour Inside Universal Studios Hollywood
A spokesperson from the Universal Studios Hollywood released a statement via The Hollywood Reporter:
“There was a tram incident at the theme park tonight that resulted in multiple minor injuries, confirmed by the LA County Fire Dept. We are working to support our guests and understand the circumstances that led to the accident.”
The Universal Studios tour remains one of the most popular attractions in the area, with visitors being able to see and explore the place during a one-hour ride. Lots of popular movies have been filmed inside the park so it is definitely a famous spot.
During the rescue operation, SkyCal was spotted flying over the scene as paramedics tried to treat a group of injured people. Another group was led away from the tram.
This is not the first time a tram crash happened inside Universal Studios. In 1986, a harrowing death occurred when an employee was killed by a tour tram during Halloween Horror Night. The man, identified as Paul Rebalde, 20, Woodland Hills, was assigned to scare tram passengers when he was run over and eventually met his death.
He was pronounced dead at 9pm, around the same time the recent accident took place. This was a mere conincidence, as publicity director Joan Bullard shared via Los Angeles Times that “There was no indication that the tram had a problem or anything like that. The sheriff has told us that it was an unfortunate accident.”
This time, the authorities are looking into machine malfunction as the cause of the tram’s breakdown.
Universal Studios Criticized For The Way They Handle Accidents
Another accident happened in 2016 when a tram slammed into a signage and was left to halt on a very steep slope.
As per CBS News, a woman was seen holding her one eye as a witness shared: “Fiberglass I think was in her eye. There’s fiberglass all over the seat.” Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed paint chips got inside her eye.
Visitors were not satisfied with how Universal Studios handled the accident. A spokesperson just brushed it off as a minor accident. One guest claimed the staff told them not to take photos of the incident. Identifying as Brooke, the tourist said:
“The first initial thought from what I could understand was – how do we fix this without anyone knowing? Not how do we fix anyone who got hurt?”
It’s disappointing how accidents involving Universal Studios trams are still not prevented despite many occurrences in the past.
