Boy Hurt in 2000 Disneyland Accident Dies
According to the LA Times:
Brandon Zucker, a boy who was trapped under the Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin ride at Disneyland in a 2000 accident, died early this morning. He was 13.
Zucker, who was 4 at the time of the September 2000 accident, died at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, with his mother at his bedside.
The accident received widespread coverage when Brandon tumbled from the spinning “taxi cab” and was trapped underneath the following car. The vehicle rolled over him, folding his 45-pound body in half. He was stuck for 10 minutes before being freed.
Brandon suffered severe brain damage and never recovered from his injuries. The accident led to the first major investigation under a law that regulates amusement parks.
The state Department of Occupational Safety and Health found that Disneyland employees had improperly placed Brandon, his mother and brother into the ride and failed to lower the lap bar. It also ordered significant safety changes to the ride, including a sensor-equipped guard around the bottom of each car.
Updated, 12:56 p.m: Brandon’s father called 911 about 9:30 a.m. Sunday after finding him nonresponsive at their home in Anaheim, officials said. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital and later transferred to Children’s Hospital in Orange, where he died at 1:13 a.m. today, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.