Zoo derailment a reminder of 1996 theme park accident

News of an accident at the Louisville Zoo is a sad reminder of a similar amusement park accident that killed an Indiana woman and left her granddaughter paralyzed from the waist down in 1996, as well as a reminder of the importance of thorough safety inspections for such rides.

A miniature train derailed at the zoo Monday and injured 22 people, including a child who was critically injured. Authorities said the ride was tested and inspected daily and had been inspected before it opened for the season.

In 1996, the miniature train at the Old Indiana Fun ’n’ Water Park in Boone County was found to have missing or broken brake parts after it jumped the track. Investigators concluded the state had been negligent in inspecting the ride.

Nancy Jones, 57, died in that accident, and her 4-year-old granddaughter, Emily Hunt, was paralyzed. The Hunt family later persuaded the Indiana General Assembly to adopt “Emily’s Law,” requiring higher standards for amusement ride operators and inspectors and requiring increased insurance coverage.

The law also opened ride operation and inspection records to the public.