Tuesday, September 21, 1999

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Jul 25, 1973	At an amusement park in Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts, a forty-five year old woman either jumped or fell to her death from the topmost section of a rollercoaster.
Mar 29, 1980	A thirteen year old boy was killed in an accident on the "Willard's Whizzer" rollercoaster at Marriott's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, California. The victim was attempting to board the ride when he was struck from behind by another car. Several other people were injured in the accident. Great America is now owned and operated by Paramount.
Jun 12, 1980	In Orlando, Florida, a ten year old girl died after riding a rollercoaster. The victim had a heart condition, however signs warning of the ride's potential dangers were posted in English. The girl did not understand English.
Jul 9, 1980	A twenty-six year old male was killed at an amusement park in Missouri when the ride operator of a rollercoaster mistakenly assumed that the train in which the victim was riding was empty, and switched the track to direct the train into a service area. The area in which the service track ran through was of low clearance, and the victim's head got jammed between the back of his seat and an overhead wooden beam. At least one other person was injured in the accident.
Jul 30, 1980	An employee of an amusement park in Nashville, Tennessee was killed in a rollercoaster accident.
Jul 19, 1981	A twenty year old man suffered massive head injuries and died after falling from a rollercoaster during an accident in Denver, Colorado.
Jul 19, 1981	In Bristol, Connecticut, a sixteen year old girl was killed in a fall from a rollercoaster.
Aug 16, 1981	A twenty year old park employee fell from the Rolling Thunder rollercoaster at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The accident occurred during a routine test run of the trains. An investigation by the State Labor Department concluded that the man may not have secured himself with the safety bar. A park representative later confirmed this conclusion, saying that the employee "may have assumed an unauthorized riding position that did not make use of safety restraints." Rolling Thunder opened in 1979. At the time of the accident, more than seven million people had ridden the coaster without an accident. The ride was inspected, and the Labor Department concluded that the ride was "operationally and mechanically sound." Rolling Thunder was reopened a day later. The ride still operates at Great Adventure.
Mar 25, 1983	A child died in a rollercoaster accident in South Carolina.
Sep 10, 1983	A thirteen year old boy was killed when his head struck an object during a rollercoaster ride in Doswell, Virginia.
Apr 3, 1984	A thirteen year old girl was killed when a rollercoaster she was riding in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, hurled her thirty feet into a guardrail.
Jul 7, 1984	A woman was flung from the Rail Blazer stand-up rollercoaster at Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri. The woman was whipped from the train and fell twenty feet to her death. Park officials claimed that the woman fainted, causing her to fall out. A passenger standing next to the woman during her fall alleged that the woman had not fainted, but was simply "flipped out" of the ride.
Jul 28, 1984	At the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota, a nine year old boy was killed after he fell 30 feet from a looping rollercoaster ride. The child sustained multiple injuries, including massive head injuries. The boy fell out of his car when it approached an incline immediately after the looping section of track. It was later concluded that the operator failed to properly secure the boy with the ride's safety belts.
May 26, 1985	In an accident at Astroland Amusement Park in Coney Island, New York, a twenty-nine year old man was killed while riding the Cyclone rollercoaster. He stood up and struck his head on a crossbeam.
Jun 2, 1985	A fifty-six year old man died after he was run over by a rollercoaster car in a work-related accident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Jun 22, 1985	A twenty-four year old employee was killed after having been struck by a rollercoaster car at the annual Del Mar Fair in San Diego, California.
Sep 1, 1985	In El Paso, Texas, an eighteen year old employee died after his arm was sliced off in a rollercoaster accident.
Aug 17, 1986	At Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, a twenty-seven year old park employee was killed after falling from the Comet rollercoaster. He may have been standing up.
May 16, 1987	In a rollercoaster accident in New Jersey, a thirty-three year old man left his safety restraint, stood up during the ride's operation and leaned outside of his car. His head struck an object. He sustained a fatal head injury and died seven weeks later from complications resulting from the accident.
Jun 17, 1987	In Jackson Township, New Jersey, a nineteen year old girl was killed after falling out of the Lightnin' Loops rollercoaster ride at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park. The ride, a shuttle loop coaster which reached heights of 85 feet, was shut down after the incident occurred. An investigation by the State Labor Department concluded that the ride itself was operating properly, but that the ride operator started the ride without having made sure that all of the passengers were secured by the safety harnesses. The State Labor Department's Office of Safety Compliance further concluded that the accident would not have occurred had proper procedures been followed. The park was found to be in violation of the Carnival/Amusement Ride Safety Act and was subsequently charged with the maximum state fines of $1,000. The ride was reopened on Saturday, October 10, 1987, after the State Labor Department had given the park permission to do so. Lightnin' Loops was eventually dismantled and no longer operates at Great Adventure.
Aug 23, 1988	At Astroland Amusement Park in Coney Island, New York, a twenty-six year old man was killed after falling from the Cyclone rollercoaster. Apparently, the man eluded the safety bar and was seen standing up while the train began its descent down the first hill. The man, who was employed as a maintenance worker, was the only passenger at the time, riding in the back seat of the train during his lunch break. He died instantly after falling thirty feet and landing on a crossbeam of a lower section of track. The ride was closed following the incident but was reopened a day later after safety inspections concluded that the ride was safe.
Apr 30, 1989	After being struck by a rollercoaster car which he had fallen from, a six year old boy died in an accident in Farmington, Utah. The boy attempted to vacate his compartment after the ride had come to a stop past the normal boarding area. The operator decided to send the train around the track again, and as the ride restarted, the boy fell to the ground, which was less than four feet beneath the track. He climbed back up through the track and was struck by the car as it returned. Apparently, the operator could not have stopped the ride once the train had reached the top of the incline, as the ride was gravity-driven.
June 9, 1989	In an accident in Farmington, Utah, a thirteen year old girl was killed in a forty-foot fall from a rollercoaster.
May 28, 1994	A fourteen year old boy died after riding a rollercoaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.
Jun 30, 1995	At Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, a fourteen year old girl died after sustaining a massive head injury in a twenty-five foot fall from the Timberwolf rollercoaster. The girl was reported to have been either standing or kneeling at the time of the accident.
Aug 14, 1995	At an amusement park in North Wildwood, New Jersey, a thirty-six year old maintenance worker was killed after being struck in the head by the foot of a passenger on a suspended rollercoaster. The passenger also suffered slight injury.
May 30, 1996	A rollercoaster accident in Los Angeles, California, claimed the life of a twenty-five year old.
Apr 20, 1997	At Bell's Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one person was killed and five others were injured when two rollercoaster cars collided on the park's Wildcat rollercoaster. The accident happened as a car was nearing the top of lift hill. The mechanism holding the car onto the track failed, causing the car to roll back down the hill and crash into another car which was approaching the chain lift. The victim, a fourteen year old boy, was thrown from the car during the the crash and struck his head on a steel support. Two other boys were also treated at a local hospital. The Wildcat had been in operation at Bell's Amusement Park since 1974. It was inspected just two weeks prior to the accident. More info: Executive Summary, Press Release, Final Investigatory Report, No criminal charges
May 23, 1997	A fourteen year old girl died after she rode a double-loop rollercoaster ride at an amusement park in Aurora, Ohio. The girl was asthmatic. The National Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that "her asthma attack was not related to the operation of the ride."
Jul 9, 1997	A broken piece of plastic sheath - the material that surrounds the chain allowing a coaster to move along its tracks - tore, causing the Hangman coaster at Opryland USA to stop in its tracks. Twenty riders were stranded on the coaster for six hours while firefighters worked on rescuing them. No one was injured. Hangman was relocated in 1998 and can be found at Marine World as Kong. Opryland USA closed in 1998.
Aug 2, 1997	A forty-four year old woman was killed when she was struck by cars on a rollercoaster at an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. She was conducting a pre-ride inspection of the ride's railings at the time of the accident.
Aug 9, 1997	A fifty-one year old maintenance worker was killed after being struck by a rollercoaster train at Six Flags Astroworld theme park in Houston, Texas. The man was working on a section of track on the Excalibur rollercoaster when the train was sent out for a test run and struck him along its way. A signal had indicated to the man that the track was clear.
Mar 19, 1998	High winds at Six Flags AstroWorld caused safety systems to lock the brakes on Taz's Texas Tornado and Batman the Escape leaving riders stranded.
Apr 18, 1998	At Six Flags Great America Theme Park in Gurnee, Illinois, 23 riders on the Demon rollercoaster were left stranded upside-down after the train in which they were riding stopped in the middle of a vertical loop. Firefighters used a cherry picker to bring the passengers to safety. Some riders were stuck for nearly three hours. Four passengers were treated at local hospitals and released. Park officials are investigating the cause of the accident. The Demon will remain closed until it passes a safety inspection.
May 10, 1998	Six Flags AstroWorld officials confirmed Sunday that several people were taken to the hospital after two roller-coaster trains "bumped" during the weekend. Six of the people on the Taz's Texas Tornado roller-coaster trains were taken to Hermann Hospital as a precautionary measure and treated and released after the 1p.m. Saturday accident, said AstroWorld spokesman Barbara Colnar. One woman was later released after being admitted. Colnar said 24 people were on each of the trains during the collision in the loading station of the ride. One of the trains that had just left rolled backward and "bumped" the stopped train, Colnar said. The ride will remain closed pending an investigation into the cause of the accident, she said. The Taz's Texas Tornado roller coaster, which is steel and has four loops, opened for operation in March 1998. See May 11 entry in News From the Front Seat for more information.
August 5, 1998	At Clementon Lake Amusement Park in Clementon, New Jersey, three people were injured while riding the Jack Rabbit roller coaster after their train derailed and crashed into the park's management office. Officials claim that the ride operator planned to allow the train to run more than one circuit, so he disengaged the automatic brakes and allowed the train to pass through three sets of brakes, but forgot to slow the train manually as it rounded an area of track near the office building. The train was going too fast for the turn, and derailed. The 28-year-old operator was fired, arrested, and charged with violating a public health and safety law. He faces $1,000 and three years in prison if found guilty. The operator claims that he was not planning to let the train make a second circuit, and that it was impossible for the operator of the ride to disengage the brake system of the Jack Rabbit. The three victims, all riding in the first car of the train, were treated at a local hospital and later released. According to the park's former ride director, many employees had complained to management about the problems with the ride's brakes. Operators and patrons complained that the cars would often pass through the brakes and come to a stop past the normal point of unloading, sometimes up to several times a day, leaving the operator no choice but to let the train make another circuit so that the passengers could be unloaded properly. Park officials confirmed that they had received such complaints, but that the ride was inspected by park maintenance workers in response to each complaint, and that no evidence was found of mechanical error. Park management blamed ride operators for such incidents. Nearly all of the park's ride supervisors and managers have quit their jobs at Clementon, in addition to others including ride operators, security employees, and games managers, as a reault of the park's response to the situation. The ride passed a park safety inspection after the accident. Clementon police also found the ride to be in safe operating condition. The Jack Rabbit is the oldest operating roller coaster in the country.
September 7, 1998	At Paramount's Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara, California, a twenty-four year old man was killed after he was struck in the head by the foot of a passenger riding a roller coaster train. The victim entered a fenced area underneath the track of the Top Gun roller coaster to retrieve his wife's hat which she had lost while riding the same ride earlier that day. The area which the man entered was a restricted area. "Do Not Enter" signs were posted around the perimeter of the ride, however the man did not understand English. The passenger whose foot struck the man, a twenty-eight year old woman, broke her right leg and was hospitalized. The victim's family has hired a lawyer, and will explore legal action against the park. A similar accident occurred in Wildwood, New Jersey in 1995. A maintenance worker was killed when the foot of a passenger riding the Great Nor'Easter roller coaster struck him as he was walking underneath the ride's track. The Top Gun and Nor'Easter roller coasters feature cars which hang from an overhead track. Riders' legs hang below them during the entire course of the ride.
October 17, 1998	At the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, North Carolina, three people suffered minor injuries after three cars collided on the Zyklon roller coaster. The accident happened when the wheel bearings of one car seized up, causing the car to come to a stop before it was supposed to. Two cars rammed into it from behind. Zyklon is owned and operated by Carol Stream Amusements. State inspectors examined the ride after the accident and deemed it safe after the defective car had been removed. The ride re-opened within an hour of the accident and operated wihout incident on Sunday. Inspectors advised ride operators to leave a greater distance between each car during the ride to help prevent future accidents.
March 21, 1999	At Six Flags Over Texas theme park in Arlington, Texas, one woman was killed and ten people were injured after their raft overturned on the park's Roaring Rapids water ride. The boat, which was carrying twelve passengers, capsized as it dipped through an area of rapids at a point toward the end of the ride. Riders, who were all wearing seat belts, became trapped upside-down underneath the capsized raft in four-foot-deep waters. Most of the occupants were able to quickly remove their seatbelts in an underwater struggle to escape from underneath the raft, but one rider, a 28-year-old Arkansas woman, was unable to remove hers. She drowned and was pronounced dead at an area hospital about a half-hour after the accident. Ten of the other riders were hospitalized with what appeared to be mostly minor injuries. While the cause of the accident is under investigation, Arlington police say that there is no reason to believe anyone was responsible. The woman was the first customer to have been killed at the park in its 38-year history. More info: Eye-Witness Accounts, Park waited before calling 911, Deflated inner tube, broken bungee cord to blame
April 5, 1999	At Paramount's Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, North Carolina, brakes on a roller coaster failed to stop a train from colliding with another. Seven people were injured as their train bumped into a stationary train in the loading station of the Thunder Road roller coaster. The other train was unoccupied. The victims were taken to local hospitals, however none of their injuries was serious. The ride will remain closed until park officials determine what caused the accident. More info: Sensor malfunctioned
April 7, 1999	A roller coaster at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park in Louisville, Kentucky, stalled mid-ride, stranding 27 riders nearly 60 feet in the air. Some riders were trapped in their cars for nearly four hours. Firefighters were called to the scene to rescue the passengers. The incident happened on the Vampire roller coaster. The coaster train failed to complete what is known as a boomerang element. Similar to the more commonly known corkscrew element, a boomerang is a twisted U-shaped section of track which inverts riders twice. The train failed to pass through the second inversion, and came to a stop on the section of track which dips between the two inversions. Cars toward the front and back of the train were tilted at nearly 45 degrees, and the occupants of those cars were the first to be rescued. The riders of the middle cars were only slightly angled. Riders were given a stuffed animal and a bottle of water for their inconvenience. No one was injured. The coaster was manufactured 14 years ago by Vekoma International of the Netherlands. It was first operated at Lakeside Amusement Park in China. Five years later, it was dismantled and sold to Kentucky Kingdom. The coaster was reconstructed at Kentucky Kingdom and reopened there in 1990. It is the oldest of the park's roller coasters. Normally, it reaches speeds of up to 48 miles per hour and heights of up to 125 feet. It travels forward though three inversions, then backward through the same three inversions. The ride lasts less than a minute. Park officials will inspect and fix the ride before it is reopened, although it was inspected just hours before the incident occurred. More info: Braking system malfunction blamed for mishap
May 16, 1999	At Six Flags Darien Lake theme park in Darien Center, New York, a 37-year-old man was ejected from the park's new Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster. The man was thrown from the ride as the train was finishing its run. He suffered only minor injuries and was hospitalized. The Superman coaster is the park's newest attraction; it was opened to the public on Saturday. Park officials say that the passenger restraint system was working properly, and that the weight of the rider, which was in excess of 300 pounds, could have been a factor. The ride will remain closed until it has been re-certified by state inspectors.
May 29, 1999	At Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park in Louisville, Kentucky, 26 people were left stranded for up to four hours after the Vampire roller coaster stalled. Firefighters were called to the park and used cherry pickers to rescue the riders. There were no injuries. The coaster train came to rest in the same area of track where it stopped in a similar incident on April 7, 1999. The ride passed one inspection on April 1, and another before it re-opened after last month's mishap. Park officials say that the ride will remain closed until it passes another inspection.
June 19, 1999	Four people were left stuck on top of Roller Coaster at Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, after their car derailed on a 40-foot-high section of track. They were rescued by local firefighters who secured the car, then brought the riders to safety. There were no injuries.
July 8, 1999	At Kennywood Amusement Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, 30-35 people were injured after one of the trains of the Thunderbolt roller coaster collided with another. Park officials said that none of the injuries is life-threatening. The Thunderbolt is 75-years-old and was renovated in the late 60's. More info: Full story, Operators could be blamed for Thunderbolt malfunction

[News From the Front Seat]  [WoC Editorial]  [Special Features]  [Park Reviews]  [Photo Gallery]  [Roller Coaster History]  [Park Discounts and Promotions]  [Upcoming Events]  [Where to Coast]  [Roller Coaster Almanac]  [Record Holders]  [Enthusiasts]  [Designer's Corner]  [Roller Coaster Accidents]  [Clubs and Organizations]  [Glossary]  [Abbreviations]  [Games & Quizzes]  [Polls & Surveys]  [Coaster-Talk]  [Related Products]  [Web Links]

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