Arizona Man Escapes Roller Coaster After Safety Bar Malfunction • Hollywood Unlocked

A man narrowly escaped disaster at Castles N’ Coasters amusement park in Phoenix when the safety bar on a roller coaster unlatched moments after the ride began on Sunday, November 24.

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The unidentified man was seen standing and walking along a safety walkway while the Desert Storm roller coaster continued its ascent.. According to PEOPLE, the man explained to local news outlet KPNX that he heard a “strange click” when the ride was about to reach the top. “I had to decide: stay on or get off. I chose to get off,” he said about his split-second decision.

He stated that he visited the amusement park to celebrate his niece’s birthday party and criticized the ride’s operator for failing to notice his dangerous exit: “She should’ve have been watching the car and hit an emergency release when she saw me climbing out.” The rider remembered hearing the safety bar click into place before the ride began. However, when he tested it himself, he found that the latch released. He claims that although the operator looked at the bar, she did not physically check its security before starting the ride.

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He later filed an official report with Castles N’ Coasters following the incident.

“I think all amusement parks that basically have people’s lives in their hands need to be better regulated. I think the scariest part was the negligence of their part and just the absolute carelessness that they had throughout the entire thing.”