If all their paperwork was in order and it was a freak accident, I dont think anything should happen to them, said Yohe. Reports indicated that a metal cable frayed during launch, shearing off shards of metal that struck the riders. Our entire team is hard at work, creating a new formula for thrills. About 6% of the injuries were reported to be serious, resulting in a fatality or an immediate admission and hospitalization in excess of 24 hours. When it debuted in 2003, Top Thrill Dragster was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, a title it lost in 2005 to a nearly identical ride, Kingda Ka, at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. [24] Although ODA finished its investigation in February 2022, exonerating Cedar Point from any wrongdoing,[25] park officials announced that Top Thrill Dragster would remain closed for the 2022 season. The ride is inspected regularly -- by Cedar Point staff, the parks insurance company and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees ride safety in the state. It would be because of a passel of things., In 2009, for example, Kings Island closed and ultimately tore down Son of Beast, a massive wooden roller coaster, only after a series of injuries and problems and attempts to fix them. Cedar Point screenshot A roller coaster. The amusement park teased that Top Thrill Dragster will return with "a new formula" in 2024. [6] Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx[7] began in the fall season, months before the formal announcement. The bracket which was attached by bolts is supposed to hover just over the trackand a series of sensors that keeps tabs on the coaster as it makes its way at breakneck speed up and over a 420-foot-tall hill in 17 seconds. An investigation continues into what caused a piece to come loose from the Top Thrill Dragster and hit a woman standing in line to ride the roller coaster Sunday at Cedar Point. 0. Last August, a 44-year-old Michigan woman was badly hurt when a metal bracket fell off the Top Thrill Dragster rollercoaster and hit her in the back of her head. The injuries were mainly arm abrasions, with one passenger experiencing cuts to the face. The decision comes a year after the metal flew off the 420-foot tall coaster in Sandusky and seriously injured Rachel Hawes. With 87% of people who voted in our recent poll saying they want to see Top Thrill Dragster reopening we are guessing many of our readers will be following the progress of this closely. (Special to WOIO) By Stephanie Czekalinski Published: Aug. 15, 2021 at 5:02 PM PDT SANDUSKY, Ohio (WOIO) - A female guest was injured while waiting in line at Cedar Point Sunday after a small. 0. It doesn't appear that there are plans for an extended layout which was originally speculated. They were treated at the park's first aid station, and two later sought further medical attention. Following an incident in 2021 in which a guest was severely injured, the park closed the ride indefinitely, later announcing in September 2022 that Top Thrill Dragster would be retired and replaced with a new ride experience. [28][29] Officials did not provide further details other than stating they were working on a "new and reimagined ride experience". 0. Rachel Hawes Incident. Cedar Point officials have only described what hit the woman as a small metal object that became disengaged as the ride was ending a run. [19] The ride continued to experience a variety of issues dealing with its hydraulic system and launch cable, which frequently led to downtime early on in its tenure. [22] The piece was later determined to be a flag plate an L-shaped bracket that signals the train's location to sensors positioned along the track. Park officials did not say if the accident influenced their decision to permanently close the coaster, which has operated for 19 years and drawn 18 million riders. Cedar Point officials said the Top Thrill Dragster will be closed for the remainder of the season after a piece of metal struck a woman in the head last week. [20] In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, timed boarding passes called "Access Passes" were used temporarily to comply with social distancing guidelines. [3] After the 2001 season ended, a Dodgem ride across from Magnum XL-200's entrance was relocated to Michigan's Adventure to clear the way for the new ride. It was the fourth roller coaster to exceed 100mph (160km/h), preceded by Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld, Superman: Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland. Ripley Steam Engine. A forty-four-year-old woman in Michigan suffered a brain injury after being struck in the head by an "L-shaped" bracket that detached from the 420-foot ride, the second-tallest roller coaster in the world. But it was later eclipsed by the Kingda Ka ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. It then launched, accelerating to a speed of 120mph (190km/h) in 3.8 seconds. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The park has already announced it will not reopen this year. SANDUSKY, Ohio (WTVG) - Sandusky Police bodycam video from Cedar Point shows some of the chaotic moments after a woman was hit by a metal object that flew off the roller coaster she was in line to ride. Please include the title when you click here to report it. I think its a shock that something would happen like that. [13], Top Thrill Dragster's media day was held on May 1, 2003,[14] and it officially opened to the public three days later. Before the mishap, some 18 million guests rode the ride that sent peoplesome 420 feet in the air at a speed of 120 miles per hour in just four seconds. [23] The guest was taken to a nearby hospital and was found to have suffered serious injuries. People say the view from 130 meters elevation is fantastic. Thats what theyre going to do., He added, If they tear it down, it wont be because of this one incident. It is great to see that Cedar Point is wasting no time at all in pushing forward with this much needed reimagining of Top Thrill Dragster. THE world's second tallest rollercoaster has been closed forever after a woman waiting in line was hit on the head by a metal bracket. A description of the ride reads: "Riders are launched in the blink of an eye before sprinting straight up at a 90-degree incline. Approximately 35% of the injuries were on roller coasters, 53% on family and adult rides, and 12% on childrens rides, according to IAAPA. Cedar . 6 trains, with 5 cars. Four guests riding the coaster were hurt in 2004 when they were struck by metal shards from a metal cable during the launch. [21], In August 2021, Top Thrill Dragster experienced a "serious accident"[22] in which a guest waiting in line was seriously injured after a small metal piece was dislodged from a train. User account menu. At the time it opened in 2003, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. State inspectors were at the park investigating the Top Thrill Dragster on Monday, which was inspected in May and was set to be checked again in September. At some point in its descent, Miran said, the bracket came in contact with the coaster's track and ripped off from the "green" coaster train and struck the woman in the head while she was waiting in line. They were here within seconds, he said. Those upgrades were made and the ride was ruled compliant on May 15. The ride ran another time before park guests could flag down staff at the front of the line to stop the ride, Leppo said, as some people started to scream and run to get out of line. He also described the quick response time by Cedar Point EMTs. The park says an announcement will be made later detailinga new and "reimagined" ride experience. Cedar Point Rollercoaster Accident | Top Thrill Dragster Deaths on Rollercoasters Cedar Point Roller Coaster Accident Kills One October 1, 2021 kaplanlaw Premises Accidents In 2015, a Cedar Point roller coaster accident killed a man. People who live in Sandusky still couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that such an accident happened. She was told to back away. From 2021:Woman at Cedar Point struck in the head by falling roller coaster piece. A maintenance worker, who the Sandusky police officer gave the bolt to, asked the deputy what happened to the piece that hit the woman. "We arent kidding when we say that this high-octane sprint to the checkered flag knows a thing or twenty about horsepower.". Female waiting in line injured after metal object falls from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point August 16, 2021, 3:49 AM A female guest was transported to a nearby hospital Sunday. Opinion:Theodore Decker: Cedar Point betrays its customers through silence after amusement park injury, Top Thrill Dragster:Body cam footage shows Cedar Point guest screaming in agony. From the start, the coaster was plagued by issues that led to its frequent closings as the park grappled with its complicatedhydraulic system. One eyewitness described it as a metal disc flying through the air; another said it looked like a heavy steel L bracket., Early this week, the Sandusky Police Department released the body camera video from a responding officer, which shows a portion of the emergency response to the incident. The ride was last inspected by the state in May. The Ohio Department of Agriculture released a 620-page report which found that Cedar Point did not violate state laws. Cedar Point closing Top Thrill Dragster ride after it caused a severe injury in 2021 Craig Webb Akron Beacon Journal 0:00 2:10 AKRON, Ohio It was once the tallest roller coaster in the. He was referring to a ride at the now-closed Schlitterbahn Kansas City, where a 10-year-old boy was killed in 2016. The Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point. [26][27], On September 6, 2022, Cedar Point officials released an update on social media stating, "Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired." The 420-foot high roller coaster, which reached speeds of 120 mph, has been closed since Aug. 15, 2021 when Rachel Hawes, 45, of Swartz Creek, Mich., sustained severe brain injuries caused by a. Meanwhile, heres what is publicly known and not known about the accident: Clark issued a statement shortly after the accident, which occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. There is a continued debate whether Intamin is involved in the reimagining of Top Thrill Dragster? At some point in its descent, Miran said, the bracket came in contact with the coaster's track and ripped off from the "green" coaster train and struck the woman in the head while she was waiting in line. In 2019, an estimated 1,294 injuries were reported across 131 parks, the equivalent of approximately 0.8 injuries per 1 million rides. 2 The Top Thrill Dragster has been permanently closed Credit: AP 2 See a spelling or grammar error in our story? The post goes on to say that track is also being removed from the load/unload station which does suggest that major work is being done which could mean the Top Thrill Dragster is getting a "switch-track and dedicated multi-launch track segment,". Are you excited to ride the reimagined Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. It was just scary, Leppo said. Published: 4:20 PM EDT August 23, 2021. [15] A fifth car was added to each by midseason. State investigations say the piece of metal that struck a Cedar Point guest waiting in line for the park's Top Thrill Dragster was about the size of "a man's hand.". Kingda Ka opened two years later at Six Flags Great Adventure and broke both of Top Thrill Dragster's records, boasting a height of 456 feet (139m) and a top speed of 128 miles per hour (206km/h).