Zoo Train Derailment Raises Troubling Questions
The recent train derailment accident at the Louisville Zoo that injured 22 people has raised some troubling questions about the safety of the open-air train ride. Although a spokeswoman from the zoo stated that the average speed of the train is 12 mph, recent zoo visitors have said they believe the train goes much faster than that. One recent visitor, Adam Galasso, said that when he, his wife, and their two-year old rode the train the day before the derailment they were frightened by the experience. He said the train went so fast that his wife nearly lost her balance while the train was going around a curve and came close to falling out of the train’s open sides. “It was definitely not safe,” said Galasso. Another frequent visitor of the Zoo, Rod Mitchell, said that several times recently he has noticed the train going at speeds he felt were too fast and has complained to zoo employees several times.
State inspection records revealed that the same train, which was purchased by the zoo in 2000, was involved in another accident in which a woman was injured. In that October 2007 accident, a front axle broke on one of the cars and caused a sudden jerk and decrease of speed when the axle began to drag beneath the car. A rider complained that she had a “burning twinge in the middle of her back” and later complained of persistent numbness in her leg.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Agricultural Department, which oversees the safety of amusement rides, said inspectors continue to review their research into what might have caused the train to derail this week. It could take several weeks before a final report is issued. Of the train derailment, zoo visitor Rod Mitchell said “This could have definitely been avoided.”
