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Commissioner Adam Putnam responds to Daytona Beach roller coaster derailment

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam said it is too soon to say if the Sandblaster roller coaster on the Daytona Beach pier, which had a car derail on Thursday, will reopen one day.

“Before that ride could have been reopened to the public, it would have had to have undergone a complete inspection. It would not have just been checking the previous deficiencies. It would've had to have a soup-to-nuts inspection,” he said at a campaign stop Saturday.

Putnam, who is running for governor, stopped in Kissimmee as part of his campaign.

Putnam’s department is in charge of ride inspections, and according to state documents, the ride passed an inspection the same day it went off the track with riders on board.

Documents show the ride failed a state review in May.

“We are investigating that now to determine whether the accident was caused by items that were related to the prior deficiencies or something completely new,” Putnam said.