The Polar Express ride at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) has been given permission to be returned to service following an incident on August 28 that resulted in a rider being injured.
The ride remained shut down while the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) conducted a thorough technical inspection of the ride. The inspection is now complete and TSSA has confirmed that the Polar Express ride is safe to resume operation.
However, the investigation into the root cause of the incident is ongoing.
Some witnesses told local media that the man was being reckless. According to a CityNews report some bystanders said it appeared that the young man tried to stand up on the Polar Express while it was moving at high speed. They say he was ejected from the ride as he attempted to get out of his seat.
The TSSA says its inspectors have been on-site daily since the incident occurred, with full cooperation from the ride operator, North American Midway Entertainment and the CNE as the safety authority conducted inspections and gathered information relating to the incident.
This is standard protocol following any reported incident related to amusement devices in the province of Ontario.
“The ride had met safety requirements before it was allowed to operate initially and was found to be safe after its inspection,” the TSSA said in a statement.
