15 injured in tram accident at Universal Studios
A group of amusement park visitors were injured Saturday evening in a Universal Studios tram accident near Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 9 p.m. PT Saturday and transferred 15 patients to hospitals with minor injuries.
The California Highway Patrol said a tour was underway at the studio in Universal City and the tram was making a turn following the “Jurassic Park Cars” attraction.
“Due to unknown reasons, while negotiating the turn onto Avenue M, the last car of the tram collided with a metal guardrail on the right side of the roadway causing it to tilt and eject multiple passengers from the tram,” the agency said.
The injuries were evaluated as “minor to moderate,” the highway patrol said. Neither drugs nor alcohol are being considered as factors.
A spokesperson for Universal Studios Hollywood confirmed the accident in a statement and said a tram collided with a guard rail while it was turning left.
“Our thoughts continue to be with the guests who were involved, and we are thankful that based on agency reports, the injuries sustained were minor,” the statement said. “We are working closely with public agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, as we continue our review of the incident and safety remains a top priority.”
Universal said the Studio Tour has resumed “with a modified route” and the park is “reinforcing our operational and safety protocols.”
Universal Studios is owned by NBC News’ parent company, NBCUniversal.
According to the park’s website, the tram tour is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary Friday.
The Universal Studios Tour offers park visitors a chance to ride a tram through behind-the-scenes locations of some of the studio’s famed films while tour guides impart some of the history of the lot.
Many of the locations are still used for filming, so the locations may change. A consistently popular attraction includes re-creations of scenes such as a “Jaws”-style shark attack.