Lawsuit settled after five juveniles injured on Kemah Boardwalk Bullet roller coaster

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A lawsuit has been settled over a problem at a popular roller coaster ride on the Kemah Boardwalk.

Five juveniles sued over injuries they received while on the Boardwalk Bullet. Eyewitness News spoke with the attorney about exactly what went wrong.

At 96 feet high and reaching speeds of 51 miles per hour, the Bullet is the largest ride on the Kemah Boardwalk.

"At the very beginning, it takes you up and then straight down," said rider Kyle Burchfield.

And this Spring Break, the line for the roller coaster is long.

But 15 months ago, the wooden roller coaster injured five kids. According to a lawsuit filed in Harris County, the Boardwalk Bullet malfunctioned on December 12, 2010, coming to a stop many feet in the air on the tracks.

Riders were forced to exit while it was still on the tracks. It took about 10 minutes for employees to climb up and help passengers off. While riders climbed down, the lawsuit states the kids suffered neck and back injuries and one girl ended up with a bruise on her face.

On Friday, a father and son, who've been on the Bullet before, say it's intense, but they've had no problems.

"It's pretty thrilling, pretty scary. It jerks you around a little bit. It's one of the better coasters I've been on," said rider Jeff Vetter.

"It bumps around a lot, but it didn't feel like it was going to fling you out though," Ian Vetter said.

Landry's confirms the lawsuit was settled. And as Spring Breakers wait in line, many say despite the injuries they will give the Boardwalk Bullet another ride.

"It's OK. I would ride it probably again," said Wyatt Kotwitz.

Landry's responded to us in a statement: "Although this was a minor incident, the litigation is a friendly lawsuit orchestrated by our insurance carrier to resolve what amounts to primarily nuisance claims."

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kemah, local, erik barajas

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