More than a dozen injured after crash involving tram at Universal Studios
By Dean Fioresi
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LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Fifteen people were injured during a crash involving a tram at Universal Studios Hollywood on Saturday.
Los Angeles County Fire Department crews rushed to the scene, located at 3900 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, at around 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department say that there were 15 injuries, and despite earlier reports, none appear to critical and all are non-life-threatening. All of the victims were hospitalized.
“The collision caused several passengers to fall out of the vehicle. LA County Fire treated people on-scene and several were transported via ambulance to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” said a statement from the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
Early in the investigation, deputies reported that they believed that the crash was the result of some sort of mechanical failure, but California Highway Patrol investigators deemed that was not the case.
On Sunday afternoon, CHP released a statement that said the crash happened in the backlot of the studio just after the tram had passed the “Jurassic Park Cars.”
While turning left onto Avenue M, the last car of the four-car tram collided with a guard rail on the right side of the road, according to CHP.
The collision caused the car to “tilt and eject multiple passengers from the tram,” their statement said.
The cause of the crash remains unclear. Alcohol and drugs are not considered to be a factor.
SkyCal flew over the scene, where a group of people could be seen as they were being treated by paramedics. A separate larger group was led away from the tram and loaded onto a bus.
“Saturday night on the Studio Tour, a tram collided with a guard rail while making a left turn,” said a statement from Universal Studios Hollywood officials. “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. We are working closely with public agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, as we continue tour review of the incident and safety remains a top priority.”
Officials say that the Studio Tours have resumed operation with a modified route on Sunday.
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