A report issued by the city of Denver on Tuesday concluded that "mechanical failure combined with a missing safety switch caused the Coors Field escalator accident that injured more than 30 people in July," according to Tom McGhee of the DENVER POST. The report added that the missing switch "should have kicked in and stopped the escalator once it began its free fall." In a written statement, the company responsible for the installation, inspection and maintenance of the escalator, Kone Inc., "disagreed with the report's conclusions." Kone Senior VP Dennis Gerard said an "inadvertently misconnected wire," overcrowding and brake failure led to the accident. But Denver Building Dept. spokesperson Julius Zsako said, "We found no evidence of overloading" (DENVER POST, 12/31). More Zsako: "I think Coors Field and the Colorado Rockies are exonerated here" (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 12/31).
READY TO OPEN: The team released a statement that read, "We are confident that the thorough inspection of the involved escalator and all other escalators at Coors Field will allow us to open the escalators for the public next season with no reservations and their safety" (Rockies).
