Over 20 people were injured and transported to local hospitals this past weekend when a tractor-drawn tram crashed at Cosca Regional Park in Prince George’s County. The incident involved a number of children. No life-threatening injuries have been reported.
Here are some details about the incident:
- Officials state that at least 21 of the 30 passengers on board the tractor-drawn tram ride were taken to a local hospital for treatment. One 12-year-old child was taken to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC with a head injury. Prince George’s County declared the crash a mass casualty incident due to the number of injuries involved.
- The tractor – which is designed to look like a train engine – reportedly lost control as it began to go down a hill in a wooded area of the park shortly after 4:00 on Sunday afternoon. It detached from the cars behind it and overturned while the tram cars remained upright. In addition to most of the passengers, the tractor operator was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
- Officials have yet to determine the cause of the accident and are continuing to investigate whether it could have been prevented.
Any accident that results in injuries is unfortunate, especially when they involve children. As officials continue their investigation, they will likely look into whether defective equipment or operator error was a contributing factor so as to prevent similar accidents from happening to families in the future.
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. has helped numerous individuals and families after they have been hurt in accidents. If you have questions about Sunday’s incident at Cosca Regional Park in Clinton, Maryland or wish to learn more about your rights after any type of preventable accident, call (202) 659-8600 for a free consultation.