Crime & Safety

Wacky Worm Ride Reopens

A broken chain likely caused the accident, said Fair officials.

The Alameda County Fair kiddie ride that was shut down after a malfunction caused injuries to seven people, is  up and running this afternoon.

A broken connector link on the children's roller coaster likely caused the accident on Thursday. The break sent the chain dangling in front of the Wacky Worm, hitting the passengers at about 3 p.m., fair spokeswoman April Mitchell said.

One child and one adult were taken to Valley Care hospital with minor injuries. The others who were hurt were treated at the scene, Mitchell said.

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Mitchell said the ride was shut down for inspection after the incident, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health cleared the ride for repairs Thursday night.

The part needed to repair the ride arrived today, and once fixed, the department inspected the ride before being reopened.

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An independent ride inspector called Coulter & Associates also reviewed  the incident, Mitchell said.

Although a ride that injured a worker at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma last week was also called the Wacky Worm, Mitchell said the ride that malfunctioned in Pleasanton is not the same one.

The Wacky Worm is the first ride fairgoers see when they enter through the fairground's Yellow Gate on Pleasanton Avenue. Children who meet a height requirement can ride alone, while smaller children must ride with an adult.

"This chain is like a large bicycle chain that has been on that ride for one year," said Mitchell. 

Except for the Wacky Worm, no other rides at the Fairgrounds were shut down. 

Mitchell said fair rides, which are operated by Butler Amusements, are checked daily and that the malfunction could not have been predicted. 

According to its web site, Butler employees fill out Daily Ride Inspection Reports, specific to each carnival ride, and then turn them into a maintenance department. The carnival manager reviews the inspection sheets and is responsible for addressing any issues that require correction. This process is also followed for weekly, monthly, bi-annual, and annual inspections.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.


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