Virtually anyone who’s seen Final Destination 2 will immediately speed up if they encounter a truck hauling a load of logs on the highway, as that movie managed to traumatize countless viewers thanks to the terrifying accident that has the potential to unfold in real life.
That particular franchise featured plenty of fate-driven death traps with the potential to make you think twice about plenty of run-of-the-mill activities, and if you’ve ever watched the third installment, there’s a good chance you’ve hesitated for a second or two before hopping aboard a roller coaster thanks to the fate that befalls some unfortunate passengers.
The chances of actually dying on a roller coaster are incredibly low, and while one ride in Japan was forced to shut down a couple of years ago after it kept breaking the bones of its passengers, you normally don’t need to be overly concerned about your safety.
With that said, I’m sure plenty of visitors who recently made the trip to Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina are breathing a sigh of relief after seeing a pretty alarming video of a defect that forced the amusement park to temporarily shutter one of its biggest attractions.
The ride in question is Fury 325, which Carowinds markets as the “tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America” thanks to a 325-foot incline that precedes a “massive 190-foot tall barrel turn and a high-speed S-curve reaching speeds of up to 95 mph.”
However, the roller coaster is currently out of commission after some parkgoers spotted a massive crack in a support beam in one of the turns, and one video capture the track swaying a bit more than most sane people would be comfortable with as a car filled with riders passed by.
A popular roller coaster ride at Carowinds amusement park near Charlotte, North Carolina is closed until further notice. A visitor to the park captured this video, which shows a large crack at the top of a steel support pillar while people were riding. https://t.co/bQ3ghk9gCc pic.twitter.com/kFA7guMgV3
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) July 3, 2023
According to USA Today, Carowinds issued a statement confirming it has shut the roller coaster down for a “thorough inspection” while stressing “all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”