Terrifying moment huge crack appears on rollercoaster as riders race past

A dad was shocked after he spotted a huge crack on a rollercoaster support pillar hundreds of feet up in the air – as families whizzed by on a ride.

Jeremy Wagner, who was visiting the Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte in the US, was with his daughter, son, niece, and his son’s friend when he spotted the faulty ride.

Video footage taken by Mr Wagner last Friday shows a close-up of the Fury 325, with packed carriages flying past.

In the clip you can see the steel support pillar wobbles after it was completely cracked through.

It shows the pillar separating briefly at the crack and Mr Wagner says he felt like a tragedy could have happened at any time.

The massive crack could be spotted from the car park of the amusement park in the US

He told the New York Times: ‘I was trying to shoot the video, and my hands were shaking because I knew how quick this could be catastrophic.’

Mr. Wagner, who had just bought his children season passes for the park, said he recorded the damage from the parking lot.

His 14-year-old daughter had been on the ride eight times on Friday, he said.

The Fury 325 ride at the amusement park in Charlotte has been shut down for repairs.

Thrill seekers were shocked after spotting the huge fault high above the ground.

At 325 feet tall, Fury 325 is one of Carowinds’ main attractions. It can carry dozens of riders and send them barreling at speeds of up to 95 miles per hour during its more than 3-minute ride, according to the park’s website.

Carowinds bills the ride, which opened to the public in March 2015, as the ‘longest giga coaster in North America.’ Roller coasters with drops of 300 feet to 399 feet are known as giga coasters.

Mr. Wagner said that he turned over his footage to park officials before he left on Friday but that he did not learn of the ride’s closure until after he got home.

‘I’m thankful they did that,’ he said. ‘Even though that’s their No. 1 attraction at the park.’

The rest of the Carowinds, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, remained open on Saturday and Sunday, according to the park’s website.

An eagle-eyed punter made a chilling discovery when they saw a massive crack on a high-speed rollercoaster while passengers flew past at breakneck speed high above the ground.

Jeremy Wagner was visiting the Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina when he saw a crack in a support pillar on the Fury 325 ride.

A stunned Jeremy, who captured footage of the crack, said the ride was "still running" when they left the park and reports indicate other visitors had been posting about it on social media for a week before the ride closed.

He said on Facebook: "I hope they shut this ride down after I reported this video at guest services. It moves two to four feet.

He added: "It was still running when we left. [We] got confirmation they shut it down for investigation."

The support structure on the ride can be seen moving as thrill seekers on the ride race past, seemingly unaware of the dangerous problem.

The video has now been viewed over 350,000 times.

Shocked viewers were alarmed by the moving structure and the crack and one person commended Jeremy for saving "some lives" by videoing the problem.

One person commented: "Watch it move when they come through!"

Another person questioned: "Why are they allowing people to still ride it in this video?"

A spokesperson for Carowinds said the $30million thrill ride would be closed until safety checks were complete, but the rest of the park remained open.

Carowinds said daily inspections take place on Fury 325, but have not commented on if the crack was reported in the days before the ride was finally closed.

"Carowinds closed Fury 325 after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"The park’s maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed.

"Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process. As part of our comprehensive safety protocols, all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity."

Read more - Firenewsfeed