Roller coaster stuck, Sacramento Metro firefighters called to rescue riders on Scandia ride
The “screaming” fun stopped abruptly Monday, but no one was injured, on a roller coaster stuck at Scandia Fun Center in North Highlands, as riders needed a rescue by firefighters.
A Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District rescue team brought down a car stranded on an overhead section of track at the 5000 block of Hillsdale Boulevard near Madison Avenue around 6:45 p.m., according to a tweet from firefighters. They shared a photo of a Crazy Dane Coaster green-and-yellow car on the snake-like ride contrasted against the night sky.
The social media post included a photo taken from Scandia showing one car perched nearly three stories atop the amusement ride on the property’s north end.
The amusement center’s advertising tagline is “It’s A Scream,” though screaming and profanity are forbidden on the ride, according to a sign posted at the ride. According to previous Bee reporting, screams were banned on the thrill rides after neighbors complained in 2007.
It was not clear why the car stopped — or how many people were aboard — but firefighters tweeted just after 8 p.m. that “fortunately all occupants have been safely removed by an aerial lander truck. The roller coaster car was stuck at the top of the tracks approximately 65’ in the air. No injuries reported.”
The ride has been in operation since March 2015, according to the Roller Coaster Database, which collects amusement ride data. According to RCDB, it was originally known as the Wild Mouse when it debuted in 1999 at the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
The steel coaster manufactured by Portland, Oregon-based E&F Miler Industries was destroyed along the Jersey Shore by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, according to another enthusiast website, Coasterpedia. Several other coasters also were torn down by the storm, including the Jet Star and Log Flume.
Crazy Dane Coaster received top billing on the park’s automated phone system; however, a Scandia employee who answered the phone said she hadn’t received information about the incident and declined to speak to The Bee about the ride’s characteristics.
Each sit-down car on the ride holds four people, two side-by-side. The car’s small size allows it to make “quick fun turns,” according to Scandia’s signage posted next to the ride.
Scandia Fun Center is also home to miniature golf, bumper boats and cars, and several other thrill rides like the Sky Screamer, a landmark along Interstate 80, and the Swedish Scrambler.
This story was originally published November 21, 2022 at 8:08 PM.
