Disturbing screams heard on Universal Studios roller coaster prompt neighborhood backlash: ‘Like someone is getting murdered’

Residents of a Los Angeles suburb may finally get some peace after weeks of being terrorized by incessant screams coming from a new roller coaster at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” coaster, which reaches speeds of up to 72mph, soft-launched for a limited number of park guests in July, and Toluca Lake residents quickly complained of sounds of “bloody murder” coming from the attraction.

The noises have been so persistent that the issue has caught the attention of local lawmakers. On Monday, LA Councilmember Adrin Nazarian released a statement announcing that the park would install additional sound barriers to block the noise.

“We know the community is concerned about the noise from Universal’s new Fast & Furious ride, and Universal has provided an update: while recent sound testing met the park’s requirements, they will be installing two additional sound barriers to help reduce noise,” an Instagram post from Nazarian’s office read.

Construction on the barriers is expected to be completed next month. The ride does not yet have an official opening date.

Toluca Lake residents have complained about the noise for weeks.

“You think something is happening,” Toluca Lake resident Patrick Nazari told the LA Times. “Like someone is getting murdered out there.”

“I heard it, and I thought to myself, ‘There are going to be problems with this’,” resident Leonard R. Garner Jr. told the outlet.

“When it’s running, it’s constant, and it sounds like bloody murder over there,” Toluca Lake resident Colby Jensen told KTLA. “It’s like a horror film going on. Constant screaming, yelling. Very intrusive.”

The new sound barriers aren’t Universal’s first attempt at mitigating the sound from the coast.

In late July, Toluca Lake HOA shared their communications with Universal, calling for residents to report noise to their hotline if they hear it.

“We have refined our testing schedule to evaluate the coaster’s performance under a variety of real-world operating conditions and how sound is being experienced in the surrounding communities,” Universal Studios Hollywood told the HOA. “The testing process will help inform what future adjustments may be needed.”

Universal Studios Hollywood told the California Post that the ride is operating in compliance with sound ordinance requirements, and that they are addressing concerns from neighbors.

“Community feedback has been an important part of our testing process, and in response to that feedback, we are implementing additional sound-reduction measures to further lessen sound levels in the adjacent neighborhood,” the park said in a statement.

“We appreciate the community’s input and will continue to engage with our neighbors as the coaster remains in technical rehearsals ahead of its opening.”

The park says it will be reaching out to HOA leadership to schedule a community meeting in the near future.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters