The womans current condition is not known. [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. 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. The Post has sought comment from her family. The transfer tracks that sat between the launch track and the inner queue have also been removed. Four guests riding the coaster were hurt in 2004 when they were struck by metal shards from a metal cable during the launch. The accident has left 44-year-old Rachel Hawes of Michigan in intensive care with a brain injury, according to a family statementreleased to a Cleveland TV station. SANDUSKY, Ohio Its been three days since a horrific accident at one of Cedar Points most popular roller coasters, and there are still more questions than answers about the incident. Hawes survived, though there have been no updated reports on her condition. Ken Martin, an amusement park safety expert, suspects a maintenance failure is responsible for the accident. This typically happened in cool, wet, or breezy weather, or when the wind was working against it. 2's right rear lap-bar cylinder soft repair and a lap bar cylinder creep test. The video shows the removal of parts of the track around the loading station. We will continue to update you on the progress as it happens on our news and Facebook page. 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. 6 trains, with 5 cars. You fix it. Co-founder of the site alongside her amazing Husband Nick who had the vision and inspiration to create Theme Park Tourist from scratch. They will do a thorough inspection, looking over every square inch of the ride to find out how and why it occurred.. The photos also show that the returning/ brake track run is also being removed from the station to just past the "Finish" line. It seems as if the launch cable and retractable brake-fins on the launch track are being removed which isn't going to be a surprise to most now we know that the coaster is being reimagined, likely with a magnetic launch system. All rights reserved. Just like the waterslide in Kansas.. It has a 90-degree incline and further a 270-degree twist. 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. Our focus continues to be on the guest and her family, Clark said. [31] Prior to the end of Cedar Point's operating season, parts of the roller coaster's track near the station were dismantled. 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. Ryan Leppo was also standing in line for the roller coaster when he saw the object fly through the air from the ride. Top Thrill Dragster Accident 2021 - Cedar Point Accident Today. A hydraulic launch system speeds riders from zero to 120 mph. Those upgrades were made and the ride was ruled compliant on May 15. Published: 4:20 PM EDT August 23, 2021. 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. At the time it opened in 2003, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. But the ride has remained closed since the August 15, 2021 accident. To the left of the launch area was a "Christmas tree" light, similar to those employed at the starting line of a drag strip. ), 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 woman, who was hit in the head, was transported to Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky. Cedar Point's legacy of roller coaster innovation continues with a one-of-a-kind addition to the park's world-renowned ride lineup, coming in 2024. State inspectors were at Cedar Point immediately following the accident. ", More: Multiple people injured on New Jersey Six Flags roller coaster with derailment history, officials say. There is a strong possibility that Zamperla and involved in the reimagining as they are currently retrofitting another Intamin accelerator coaster with LSM track. Miran said the green train's car and other pieces of evidence have been sent to a lab for further investigation. 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. User account menu. Here's when Google will launch the Pixel 7 and its first s REBNY's new return-to-office gauge paints bright view for 'trophy' towers, Food delivery maven unveils NYC shop after dumping Mercedes mobile kitchens, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, JPMorgan Chase requires some workers give 6 months notice before quitting, This Girl Scout cookie flavor is reselling for $100 online -- here's why, Kristen Doute supports Ariana Madix amid mutual ex Tom Sandovals scandal, Celeb-loved jewelry brand Dorsey drops dazzling new styles, White Lotus actor jokes about being hit on following shows success, Undertaker transforms coffin into barbecue grill, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. It just was a problematic ride, one thing after another, said Speigel, a former Kings Island executive. He added, I can guarantee you this was not the first time something like this has happened. I have no idea. 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. The ride that dominates the Sandusky, Ohio, park's skyline has sat idle since a tragic mishap last August severely injured a park guestafter apiece of the ride about the size of "a man's hand," became dislodged and struck a woman standing in line in the head. We dont know what it was. Thebrake bracket area of the track, which slows the cars at the end of the ride, showed signs of impact and were bent along withseveral horizontal track beams within about 25 feet of the damaged brake bracket. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. None of the injuries were life threatening. Top Thrill Dragster To Be Reimagined, Rumors Fly Of What This Could Look Like! We were there to assist, he said. 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. In 2019, an estimated 1,294 injuries were reported across 131 parks, the equivalent of approximately 0.8 injuries per 1 million rides. The Ohio Department of Agriculture released a 620-page report on Friday, explaining their investigation into Cedar Points popular rollercoaster, the Top Thrill Dragster. Are you excited to ride the reimagined Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. Top Thrill Dragster . A description of the ride reads: "Riders are launched in the blink of an eye before sprinting straight up at a 90-degree incline. 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. The speed record was again broken in 2010 by Formula Rossa at Ferrari World, which reaches a maximum speed of 149.1mph (240.0km/h). Opened in 2003, the Top Thrill Dragster is a strata roller coaster that reaches a top speed of 120 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds, according to the Cedar Point website. Rachel is fighting for her life, and we would ask for privacy in this difficult time.". She was standing in line to purchase something to eat, he said. Facebook. 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. Those changesincluded hydraulic upgrades, a hydraulic propulsion system upgrade and repairs to black cherry car No. In April 2002, work began on the concrete foundation. [18] Shortly after it opened, a faulty valve on the hydraulic system caused a short-term closure. [36], On very rare occasions, a combination of the weight distribution of the train, the force of the launch, and the wind could stall a train on top of the tower. I couldnt find anything. Once the train was prepared to launch, a motor revving sound effect was played and its magnetic braking fins were lowered from the launch track. Her family said in a statement at the time: "We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time. There is a unconfirmed rumor that the building where you would get Top Thrill Dragster photos from is to be torn down and will be part of the replaced long and thin queue line. The deputy said he ran toward the commotion to see how he could help. 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. Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio announced on Tuesday it would be permanently closing the Top Thrill Dragster. It happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday as the woman was standing in line for the Top Thrill Dragster, when the piece came loose from a train on the coaster as it was ending its run, Cedar Point. It then launched, accelerating to a speed of 120mph (190km/h) in 3.8 seconds. A new law, passed in 2019, requires the state to inspect roller coasters twice per year, up from once. 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. See a spelling or grammar error in our story? (Cedar Point) Just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sandusky police officials received a radio call for an injured female at Cedar. Let us know what you would like to see from the reimagined Top Thrill Dragster by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page. The news came eight days after the horrifying incident at the Sandusky amusement park that sent people in linescrambling for safety and Hawes seriously injured on Aug. 15. It was his first time visiting the park. Miran said prior to Monday afternoon's press briefing he contacted the woman's family to update them on the status of the investigation into what went wrong with the coaster that has been around since 2003. Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio announced on Tuesday it would be permanently closing the Top Thrill Dragster. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it opened in 2003 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 400 feet (120m) in height. [8] Officials for the park stated the goal was to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 420 feet (130m) in height and accelerating up to 120mph (190km/h) in 4 seconds. 4 min read. Cedar Point, which has its own police department, has not released the report. How can you protect somebody standing in line?, Dennis Speigel, an industry consultant, said hes confident Cedar Point will figure out what went wrong and will fix it. 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. Leppo said there was confusion at first in his part of the line about what was happening. Cedar Point is charged with making daily inspections of its rides. 2's right rear lap-bar cylinder soft repair and a lap bar cylinder creep test. Top Thrill Dragster is themed to Top Fuel drag racing, with the starting launch designed to resemble a dragstrip. Close. [19], On August 7, 2016, two people were treated for minor injuries when the launch cable detached from the ride. There have been other incidents involving the coaster that led to injuries though none as seriousas the latest one. The park says an announcement will be made later detailinga new and "reimagined" ride experience. Target of 130-135mph could maybe be feasible. It is thought that the old track will be re-used with new LSM launches being put on and retro fitted. I think its a shock that something would happen like that. The original metal fences have gone from the queue line so it highly likely they are moving the queue which has been assumed from the start. 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. The ride was last inspected by the state in May. The accident has left 44-year-old Rachel Hawes of Michigan in intensive care with a brain . Park Info. But the 420-foot-tall (128 meters) Cedar Point ride hasnt moved since a devastating accident left a woman with severe brain injuries.So in this video, I am analyzing the incidents that ended the Top Thrill Dragster.Subscribe for more fascinating disaster documentaries: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6yg8d7eoZF6vnL4e8mog?sub_confirmation=1Tragic history playlist:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWtCh3_Fxp9FtVfTqXA06J3jhoxIFjpaFSuggest a topic for my next video: https://bit.ly/DarkHistoryTopicsWe reveal the world's darkest and greatest disasters all based on true stories.This disaster documentary is inspired by the fantastic \"Fascinating Horror\".Footage from:Theme Park Predictions \u0026 More! [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 ODA is not recommending any administrative action against Cedar Point. We all saw it fly off: Video shows chaotic moments after woman hurt at Cedar Point. 0. Why arent they telling us what went wrong and what theyre going to do to fix it and to keep it from happening again?. But the ride was plagued by frequent breakdowns and long lines over the years. And in 2016, two guests were injured when a launch cable detached from the coaster. [4] The concrete footings were kept hidden behind a fence when the park opened for the 2002 season. Shortly after reaching its maximum velocity, the catch car disengaged, and the train began its ascent up a 90-degree incline, twisting 90 degrees clockwise before climbing over the 420-foot (130m) top hat. Top Thrill Dragster also broke the height record, standing at 420 feet (130m), which was previously held by Superman: Escape from Krypton at 415 feet (126m). The park has already announced it will not reopen this year. Adding a Multi-launch system which could then include a roll-back. Cedar Point, an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, announced . The ride was closed for the following day while the park and Ohio state officials investigated the incident. Rachel Hawes is a 44 year old woman from Swartz Creek, Michigan. In a statement announcing the closure, the park noted it legacy of ride innovation continues".