Man crashes into ride at DelGrosso’s
By Ashley Gurbal, agurbal@altoonamirror.comArticle Photos
TIPTON - A car crashed through the fence of DelGrosso's Amusement Park and struck the Pharaoh's Fury ride about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The driver, whose name wasn't released, had broken a finger at his Bellwood home and was driving himself to Tyrone Hospital, traveling north on Old Route 220, when he passed out, said state Trooper Eugene Jenkins of the Hollidaysburg barracks. The car crossed the southbound lane, crashed through a fence and into the ride.
"He never hit his brakes," Jenkins said.
The driver suffered "serious lacerations to his head" but was conscious after the crash, Jenkins said. Wooden support beams from the ride poked through the windshield and into the passenger side of the white Chevrolet Impala.
"I can't believe he's not dead," Jenkins said.
DelGrosso's was closed at the time of the crash, park President and General Manager Carl Crider said. Crider and the staff were getting ready to leave when the crash occurred.
"It sounded like a dump truck dropped something on the highway," Crider said.
Crider said he wasn't sure how much the damage would cost.
"We're just glad he was OK," Crider said. "You can always replace things."
Pharaoh's Fury is one of four new rides at the park this year.
Jenkins said the driver was transported to Altoona Regional Health System, Altoona Hospital Campus, and will be cited for careless driving.
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cardioccrn
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09-04-09 8:43 PM
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no wonder health care is such a mess...you would seriously call 911 for a fractured finger? god help us all1
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KMadak
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09-04-09 7:01 PM
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Rumor I've heard is $500,000 damage. No way it'll be operable again this season. Too bad it didn't happen at Lakemont, could have hit every ride in the entire park and only done fifty bucks in damage.
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Accukidz
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09-04-09 3:59 PM
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The drop ride is ... awesome ... scary ... amazing .... and terrrifying ... all at the same time. Quite an experience LOL
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Accukidz
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09-04-09 3:27 PM
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DelGrosso's again shows their huge hearts ... Carl's comment that things can be replaced is so true. In a time of huge parks owned by corporations we are lucky to have this gem owned by a local family here is our area. The four new rides are awesome ... I hope Pharoah's Fury is fixed soon. Too bad it will be down for Labor Day ...
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alwaysriteifuaskme
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09-04-09 2:32 PM
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A ride from a friend - yes. Calling an ambulance for a broken thumb or pinky- you have got to be freekin kidding me. Could you imagine? 911, whats your emergency? I think I broke my pinky...um o.k. we will send a response unit when they are done playin hold 'em
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KlausVR
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09-04-09 1:17 PM
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Tyrone has a hospital?
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RidgeRunner
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09-04-09 11:57 AM
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'Bet the Pharoah was furious about it.
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countrygirl
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09-04-09 11:06 AM
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i'm just saying not very many people would think that a broken finger would justify a ride in the ambulence, or even justify having someone else drive you to the hospital. I've broken several bones and never passed out. I've also been in an accident...the woman had no driver's license...therefore she was negligent and breaking the law. As far as I know, there is no law against driving with a broken bone. Yes, they can cite him for careless driving, but that falls into a very grey area where any lawyer can convince a judge and/or jury that it was simply an accident. If he hit and killed one of my loved ones, I wouldn't want to see this man suffer over it. There would be tragedy enough. He wasn't doing anything wrong, and to even say he was negligent is grasping at straws. Things happen. I don't even know the guy, but I just don't think he should be made out to be a bad guy over this.
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RobFan
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09-04-09 11:03 AM
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SoOvr "if you were driving past this man when it happened and he hit you head on killing you because he was irresponsible...you would want him to fight it??" How could she want him to fight it if she were dead??
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SoOvrObama
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09-04-09 10:34 AM
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countrygirl...apparantly you have never been in an "accident". So you are saying, if you were driving past this man when it happened and he hit you head on killing you because he was irresponsible...you would want him to fight it?? There are NO such things as "accidents", this could have been prevented.
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RobFan
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09-04-09 10:32 AM
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I was there on Sunday, my kid rode that over and over again-scary. Has anyone gone on the one that drops you 140 feet? AWESOME!!
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countrygirl
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09-04-09 10:01 AM
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Who would honestly think that a broken finger would cause you to pass out? I know I wouldn't and would probably jump in the car to drive to the doctors. It was an accident - they happen everyday - and it is fortunate that no one else was injured. He should fight the citation...he didn't knowingly or willfully do anything wrong.
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RazMnaz
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09-04-09 9:10 AM
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The man was very lucky he wasn't killed, or collided with any southbound vehicles when he crossed over, and that this didn't happen in the middle of a Saturday when the park would be crowded. His poor decision of not calling paramedics to his home at the time when he broke his finger, perhaps to avoid the charge, wound up costing him a lot more than he bargained for.
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mammamia
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09-04-09 9:02 AM
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Bright side is that he didn't end up at Tyrone Hospital.
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TheOneAndOnlySurge
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09-04-09 8:58 AM
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@SoOvrObama, I wouldn't have said it as bluntly but you are dead right. The police officer did exactly what he is to do in this situation. Thankfully no one was killed.
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SoOvrObama
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09-04-09 8:23 AM
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I love it. Because no one, but the driver was hurt, lets hurry up and yell at the police for being jerks and doing their job. But if someone had been killed on that ride, you would want him to spend the rest of his life in prison!! Pick a side! He should have gotten a ride from a friend or called an ambulance. End of story. He was irresponsible.
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DRILLMAMMA
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09-04-09 7:53 AM
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Ita a good thing no one was around on the ground or on a ride.
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orwell
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09-04-09 7:50 AM
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Ended up in an ambulance ride after all.
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Aces20
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09-04-09 7:39 AM
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Of course the PSP is citing him because he wasn't in control of his vehicle. His insurance company is goingn to love this bill. Labor Day weekend at DelGrosso's and that ride is down. *****.
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dolphin
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09-04-09 7:30 AM
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Why are they citing him, he passed out?
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