Amusement ride at Rye Playland malfunctions sending riders hurtling backward until power pulled
RYE, Westchester County (WABC) -- Amusement park riders said they were left traumatized and looking for answers after a ride at Rye Playland malfunctioned and seemingly refused to stop.
The Music Express is designed to go backward, but just before 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, the ride sent passengers hurtling in reverse for three to four minutes longer than a normal ride.
Giovanni Martinez-Roman shared a video of the incident on social media.
His cousins were on the ride and he said it felt like an eternity.
"They absolutely did not have the proper protocols to stop the ride I believe the workers handling the Ride should know what to do in a case like that," Martinez-Roman said.
Playland's general manager, Jeff Davis, said that the unwanted thrill was due to an electrical malfunction.
"It went through its normal inspection on Sunday morning and ran throughout the day without incident until that 8:30 p.m. time," Davis said.
Davis said the ride's operators activated an emergency stop button and when that didn't work they called maintenance to disconnect the power.
Davis said he was not made aware of any injuries.
The ride will remain closed until the park and the ride's manufacturer, Wisdom Rides, come up with a fix.
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