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The ODA said the purpose of their investigation was not to determine the cause of the accident, just to make sure the amusement park followed all the laws in place to ensure the rollercoasters safety. The accident has left a 44-year-old Michigan woman identified as Rachel Hawes in intensive care with a brain injury . (See the video below. 4 Potential Options For The Disney's Hollywood Studios Attraction, TOP THRILL DRAGSTER: The High Octane Life of Cedar Point's Coaster Wars Icon And Its Race to Relaunch. Northwest Ohio snow emergencies by county, Thousands without power as winter weather rolls in, FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY Ending Tonight, March 4th (Friday night update), Parents, students arrested in fight at Toledo elementary school, WATCH: Dave White Chevrolets Basketball Friday, Week 14, Trifecta, WATCH: Dave White Chevrolets Basketball Friday, Week 14. It had been the tallest in the world until 2003 when it was replaced by Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Those changesincluded hydraulic upgrades, a hydraulic propulsion system upgrade and repairs to black cherry car No. Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. SANDUSKY, Ohio (Gray News) - One of the world's most famous roller coasters is closing. [20] In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, timed boarding passes called "Access Passes" were used temporarily to comply with social distancing guidelines. Prior to the accident, the Top Thrill Dragster was last inspected by the state on May 14 and no major issues were found. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. [24] ODA found there was "insufficient evidence to find the action or inactions of Cedar Point violated any of the laws" and concluded its investigation in February 2022. Please include the title when you click here to report it. Cedar Point found not responsible for Top Thrill Dragster accident last year that injured patron, Ohio Gov. The 420-foot (128-meter) tall Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster will remain closed as officials from the park in Sandusky, ride experts and state authorities investigate, Cedar Point said in. But it was later eclipsed by the Kingda Ka ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. [28][29] Officials did not provide further details other than stating they were working on a "new and reimagined ride experience". User account menu. You fix it. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Check out the rumors that are currently swirling below of what we may see in the reimagining and we will keep you posted with further updates when they are revealed on our news and Facebook page. The inspection did, however, find some issues that needed to be upgraded to bring the ride into compliance. 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. Riders are launched in the blink of an eye before sprinting straight up at a 90-degree incline, read the description of the ride on the theme parks website. [23] The guest was taken to a nearby hospital and was found to have suffered serious injuries. [33], On July 14, 2004, four people were struck by flying debris while riding the coaster. The state on Monday released the one-page initialincident report, which identified the victim as Hawes ofSwartz Creek, Michigan, near Flint. On Wednesday afternoon, he said the incident is still under investigation. 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. I have no idea. The video shows the removal of parts of the track around the loading station. Top Thrill Dragster is one of the parks most thrilling and popular rides, with a top speed of 120 mph and height of 420 feet. If this was possible and the height could be increased above 418ft then Top Thrill Dragster would take back the record from Kingda Ka of being the tallest stratocoaster in North America. 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. I mean, you know its terrible, I mean, you go to have a good time with your family and then that, said Lucia Fultz. A metal object fell from a train on Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster late Sunday, injuring a guest.The Plain Dealer. [8] The structure was built by Intamin's subcontractor Stakotra. There is a strong possibility that Zamperla and involved in the reimagining as they are currently retrofitting another Intamin accelerator coaster with LSM track. The large investment tied it with Millennium Force as being the most expensive in park history. Authorities are investigating a harrowing incident at an Ohio amusement park that's a magnet for roller coaster lovers. IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, tracks injuries on rides in the United States and Canada. There may be reasons for the silence, including medical and ethical privacy concerns. 3. Those upgrades were made and the ride was ruled compliant on May 15. An actual Top Fuel dragster weighs approximately one ton, while each train on the coaster weighed 15 tons. The woman, who was hit in the head, was transported to Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky. Hype Builds For TRON Lightcycle / Run With Further Photo Updates, Here Is How The Post-Show Looks! cshoup@gannett.com. So far, we have not had confirmation of what exactly this reimagining will look like when it is finished but there has been a lot of speculation online from Top Thrill Dragster fans and coaster enthusiasts (see below). 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. : @Freeziebuddy #rollercoasters #themeparks #amusementparks pic.twitter.com/OkgbokSDtJ. 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. Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point) Following the death of 14-year-old, Tyre Sampson who tragically fell from the attraction, Orlando Free . Theme Park Predictions & More! Park Info. 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. Top Thrill Dragster featured a 420-foot-high hill and cars that reached a top speed of 120 mph. When it opened in 2003, Top Thrill Dragsterwas the tallest and fastest coaster in the world, but those records were surpassed in 2005 by the Kingda Ka coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. The investigation has found that half of the bolts thatsecured the bracket to the train body had also dislodged. Cedar Point officials have declined to answer questions about the accident in the days since it occurred. However, although work appears to be progressing well we now know for certain that Top Thrill Dragster will remain closed for the . That is now considered the worlds tallest with a 456-foot elevation. 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. [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." From the tweet below fromUpdates About Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster, we can see that work is progressing fast and all that now remains of where the queue line stood is a hole in the ground. Found the internet! The report said she had an "unknown type of head injury.". Her family said in a statement at the time: "We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time. 0. 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.". He could not speculate how fast the train was moving when the piece became dislodged but added it was likely at the ride's "maximum" velocity. Its going to take them a while to do the forensics, said Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services. SANDUSKY, Ohio (WOIO) - Cedar Point is off the hook for a rollercoaster accident last summer that severely injured one person. This could be seen as a reference to Formula One racing (and, perhaps accidentally, to the worlds fastest roller coaster, Intamins Formula Rossa in Abu Dhabi). In August 2021, a 44-year-old Michigan woman Rachel Hawes was badly hurt when a metal bracket fell off the Top Thrill Dragster rollercoaster and hit her in the back of her head. - https://www.youtube.com/c/ThemeParkPredictionsElToroRyan - https://www.youtube.com/c/ElToroRyanCoaster Thrills - https://www.youtube.com/c/CoasterThrillsFrank H. - New Entertainment Pictures - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxYSNV4S6W1loUHaL00Biw East Coasters - https://www.youtube.com/c/EastCoasters Read more >> https://bit.ly/3yQzzC9. Top Thrill Dragster is the fourth-fastest roller coaster in the world and takes riders from 0 to 120 mph in 3.8 seconds as they're launched 420 feet in the air. Top Thrill is well known among coaster fans for being temperamental and maintenance-heavy, with long periods out of commission. ), 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.". The state on Monday released the one-page initialincident report, which identified the victim as Hawes ofSwartz Creek, Michigan. The park has already announced it will not reopen this year. When it opened in 2003, Top Thrill Dragsterwas the tallest and fastest coaster in the world, but those records were surpassed in 2005 by the Kingda Ka coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. Rachel is fighting for her life, and we would ask for privacy in this difficult time.". August 6 - Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point has been closed since August 2021 after an incident where a guest waiting in line was struck by a metal object that fell from the roller coaster. At the time, only four such cranes in the United States were tall enough to handle construction of the 420-foot tower section. The amusement park teased that Top Thrill Dragster will return with "a new formula" in 2024. Our focus continues to be on the guest and her family, Clark said. ", More: Multiple people injured on New Jersey Six Flags roller coaster with derailment history, officials say. Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com. They will do a thorough inspection, looking over every square inch of the ride to find out how and why it occurred.. All rights reserved. Approximately 35% of the injuries were on roller coasters, 53% on family and adult rides, and 12% on childrens rides, according to IAAPA. piece of metal that struck a Cedar Point amusement parkguest, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. When this happened, a mechanic took the elevator to the top and pushed the train down the hill.[37]. A new law, passed in 2019, requires the state to inspect roller coasters twice per year, up from once. [23] Cedar Point announced that the coaster would be closed for the remainder of the season. The ride was last inspected by the state in May. Tony Clark, a Cedar Point spokesperson didnt respond to another request for an update on the investigation into the ride Tuesday. Posted by 8 days ago. Martin predicts that the ride will be permanently closed. [6] Track pieces identified as Intamin were previously spotted near Mean Streak. Updates About Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragsterhas recently posted a tweet showing that the station has been pretty much completely emptied. AKRON, Ohio The piece of metal that struck a Cedar Point amusement park guest waiting in line for the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster was about the size of "a man's hand," according to state investigations. [2], After leaving the station, the train entered the launch area. [44], On August 15, 2021, in what was described as a "serious accident",[22] a guest waiting in line was struck by a small metal piece that dislodged from a train as it was nearing the end of its run. Top Thrill Dragster is one of Cedar Point's biggest and most popular rides so we originally assumed that Cedar Point would be keen to get the reimagining completed as soon as possible and the ride open again in 2023. Adding a roll-over inversion built into the hill. 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. They can be seen in the video embedded below along with a commentary from America's Coaster Network with their thoughts on further changes. 4 min read. [24] The ODA required that Top Thrill Dragster be closed during the investigation and subsequent re-inspections. The ride goesfrom standstill to 120 mph in just3.8 seconds. The decision by Cedar Point comes a year after a small metal object flew off the 128m-tall Top Thrill Dragster coaster and struck a woman in the head at the park in Sandusky, leaving her with severe injuries. On Wednesday, Director of Communications Tony Clark, in response to several questions, provided this statement: Our focus continues to be on the guest and her family. [23] An investigation by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) determined that half of the bolts securing the plate dislodged. At the time it opened in 2003, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. (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. The ride was closed for the following day while the park and Ohio state officials investigated the incident. After all that, they say they found no evidence to indicate that Cedar Point knew the Top Thrill Dragster ride was unsafe or could cause a hazard to the public. 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. Although Intamin has not worked with Cedar Fair since 2010 due to a number of issues with its installed rides at the parks, it would seem sensible with all the developments in reliability that Intamin has made in the last decade that Cedar Point would want their input for this extensive project because surely who best to do the job but the original creators of the attraction. Rachel is fighting for her life, and we would ask for privacy in this difficult time.". In 2004, four riders sustained minor injuries after they were hit by small pieces of metal during the launch; in 2016, two riders were treated for minor injuries after a cable became detached, according to news reports. It would be great to see Top Thrill Dragster fitted with new lightning trains which were unveiled at IAPPA in November 2022. [6] Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx[7] began in the fall season, months before the formal announcement. I mean I seen, like, a picture of what that metal was and that was a pretty thick piece of metal to just snap off like that., They sent us a statement that reads in part, Cedar Point has cooperated fully with ODA throughout its investigation into the incident and we will closely review the substance of ODAs report.. WARNING: Some viewers may find this video disturbing. Top Thrill Dragster is one of the park's most thrilling and popular rides, with a top speed of 120 mph and height of 420 feet. [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. About the Cedar Point Dragster Accident: Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio announced on Tuesday it would be permanently closing the Top Thrill Dragster. 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. piece of metal that struck a Cedar Point guest, Theodore Decker: Cedar Point betrays its customers through silence after amusement park injury, Body cam footage shows Cedar Point guest screaming in agony, Cedar Points top roller coasters, attractions over the years, Five days later: Cedar Point offers no updates on injured woman, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. At around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a female guest was waiting in line to ride the Top Thrill Dragster when a small metal object became dislodged from a train at the top of the 420-foot-tall ride, park . Based on my knowledge and experience, if something comes off a roller coaster, that suggests to me a maintenance issue, said Martin, with KRM Consulting in Virginia. Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com. The entire ride lasts 17 seconds. [45] Despite this, the ride never reopened, and its retirement was announced on September 6, 2022.[46][27][47][48]. [15][34] Each dragster-themed train was also decorated with a spoiler, a set of tires, and an engine at the rear of each train, but these were removed after the fifth car was added to allow an extra row of seats to take their place. A brief message was played to the riders before the launch: "Keep arms down, head back, and hold on." They were treated at the park's first aid station, and two later sought further medical attention. It then launched, accelerating to a speed of 120mph (190km/h) in 3.8 seconds. [5] In August, an informal announcement from Cedar Point confirmed the park was building a new ride for the 2003 season. Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day. 0. "Due to the changes in ride inspections. * Who is the victim and what is her condition? [8] By October, the roller coaster had reached 200 feet (61m) in height,[9] and the highest peak was topped off in December. 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. As you can see from the video which is embedded below, the only words which appear are "A NEW FORMULA FOR THRILLS" "COMING 2024". 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. Miran said the green train's car and other pieces of evidence have been sent to a lab for further investigation. The large crane which was previously on site has now been reported to have gone. From 2021:Woman at Cedar Point struck in the head by falling roller coaster piece. And some 19 years and a troubled past later, Cedar Point is retiring the famed Top Thrill Dragster. October 18 - We are closely following the progress of the eagerly awaited Top Thrill Dragster reimagining which was first announced back in September. The video was posted to social media on Monday, 20 years to the day of the ride's first . Those upgrades were made and the ride was ruled compliant on May 15.