ANAHEIM – A Disneyland machinist, struck by a Space Mountain vehicle last week, remained hospitalized Tuesday in a critical-care unit, officials said.
The 68-year-old employee was injured Oct. 3 after the park closed. The machinist was returning a vehicle that had been out of commission back onto the ride when something went awry and the vehicle hit him. The impact caused back, chest and head injuries, said Patricia Ortiz, a spokesman for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal-OSHA.
Anaheim Fire Department personnel responded to the park at 9:43 p.m. and transported the employee to the hospital, said Maria Sabol, a department spokeswoman.
The ride did not malfunction and was back in normal operation the next day, said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman. "Our thoughts and prayers are with our cast member and his family," she said in a prepared statement.
"On behalf of his fellow cast members, we offer our heartfelt wishes for a full and speedy recovery."
Cal-OSHA, which oversees workplace injuries, was starting an investigation into the incident, Ortiz said. The state has up to six months to complete an investigation; most take two to four months.
The Tomorrowland ride, which reaches about 30 mph, debuted in 1977.
