Decorative Wood Falls Injuring Five Riders at Knott's

Buena Park, CA -- A piece of decorative wood on the GhostRider(tm) wooden roller coaster came loose Monday morning, falling onto the passengers in a coaster train below.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m. according to park spokesman, Bob Ochsner. Five individuals sustained minor injuries including cuts and lacerations.

Three of the individuals were treated and released on scene and choose to remain at the park. Two others were taken to a local hospital where they were treated for the minor injuries sustained.

"The wood was a piece of decorative laminate, and not a structural piece of the wooden coaster," according to Ochsner.

The GhostRider was closed following the incident for an investigation to try and determine why the piece of wood fell.

Southern California television stations treated the minor incident like it was a life-threatening event. The reporting made it appear as if the entire ride was unsafe.

KTLA Channel 5, a Los Angeles-based television station, took the incident too far when they showed footage of the wrong roller coaster on the 10-o'clock news. During the report the station showed footage of the Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain in operation as if it were the GhostRider at Knott's.