LOS ANGELES — A passenger on a Universal Studios tram car that crashed into a guardrail on Saturday estimates the ride reached speeds up to 20 to 25 mph after the driver apparently lost control of the tram, which is much faster than the usual slow pace of the attraction, according to the man's attorney.

Fifteen passengers aboard the tram received "minor to moderate injuries" after the ride crashed shortly after 9 p.m., the California Highway Patrol said in a report. The linked tram cars had passed by a set of props from the "Jurassic Park" film franchise when the tram driver turned onto Avenue M, and for some unknown reason the last car in the procession collided with the metal guardrail on the right side, the CHP said. This caused the tram to "tilt and eject multiple passengers from the tram," authorities said in the report.

Details of the accident that took place Saturday night — amid the 60th anniversary of the tram ride — remain unclear, but the CHP said the agency has determined that drugs and alcohol were not a factor.

Attorney Steven Dhillon, who represents two adults and an 11-year-old girl injured in the crash, said that one of his adult clients sustained a brain injury after her head hit a metal or plexiglass frame on the tram car.

"She woke up sick with nausea and was vomiting the next morning," Dhillon said by phone.

After she went to the hospital the following morning, she was told there was bleeding in her brain, according to Dhillon, who did not make his clients available to The Los Angeles Times to discuss their injuries or disclose their names.

Another Dhillon client in the last tram car said that it appeared the driver lost control while going downhill, allowing the tram to accelerate rapidly as the passengers screamed, the attorney said. The guest said the crash exacerbated pain from previous knee and spine surgeries, according to Dhillon, who did not disclose his client's age.

On Saturday, Lt. Maria Abal with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said there appeared to be an issue with the tram's brakes. While the Sheriff's Department responded to the scene of the crash, the CHP is the lead agency in the investigation, a Universal Studios spokesperson said. The CHP has not released the findings of its investigation.

"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," Universal Studios said in a statement.

The theme park said it was working closely with authorities as it continues its own review of the incident, adding that "safety remains a top priority."

...continued

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.