UNIVERSAL CITY — An investigation was continuing Monday into the crash of a tram at Universal Studios Hollywood that injured 15 passengers.
Paramedics dispatched to the location at 9:05 p.m. Saturday transported 15 people to a hospital, a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher told City News Service. None of the patients was seriously injured, with park officials saying those affected suffered minor injuries.
According to park officials and the California Highway Patrol, which is leading the investigation, the injuries occurred when one of the tram cars struck a guardrail while the vehicle was negotiating a turn.
CHP officials said the tram had just carried its passengers by a display of "Jurassic Park" cars and was "making a turn to head northbound on Avenue M. Due to unknown reasons, while negotiating the turn onto Avenue M, the last car of the tram collided with a metal guardrail on the right side of the roadway, causing it to tilt and eject multiple passengers from the tram."
Park officials also said in a statement to media outlets that the tram "collided with a guardrail while making a left turn."
According to the CHP, the crash was still being investigated, but drugs and alcohol were not believed to have played a role.
Meanwhile, the trams were again running at the theme park, but utilizing an alternate route to avoid the area where the crash occurred.
"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," according to a park statement. "We are working closely with public agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, as we continue our review of the incident and safety remains a top priority."
The tram tour is one of the most popular attractions at the park, featuring a one-hour behind-the-scenes look at the backlot where some of Hollywood's most famous television shows and movies were filmed.
Starting Friday and continuing through Aug. 11, the tour is set to add several temporary attractions including immersive photo ops, throwback tram cars and an original replica of the Hollywood sign as part of its 60th anniversary celebration. The changes are part of a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the attraction.
The anniversary tram tour will include a rare change for riders to disembark the trams at a designated on the backlot.