Incidents at Cedar Fair parks
This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. -owned theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.
The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, or deaths that occur at a Cedar Fair park. While these incidents were required to be reported to regulatory authorities due to where they occurred, they usually fall into one of the following categories:
- Caused by negligence on the part of the guest. This can be refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions, or deliberate intent to break park rules.
- The result of a guest's known or unknown health issues.
- Negligence on the part of the park, either by ride operator or maintenance.
- Act of God or a generic accident (eg slipping and falling), that is not a direct result of an action on anybody's part.
Please see the references for each listed item for specific details.
Borg Assimilator
- On March 18 2007, seven employees were minorly injured during a pre-season test run when a ride vehicle mechanism failed. The train, containing 16 Carowinds employees at the time, stopped at the base of the vertical loop after the ride's emergency brakes engaged (approximately eight feet above the ground). [1]
Cedar Point
Top Thrill Dragster
- On July 13, 2004, four people were injured after they were struck from pieces of metal that sheared off the coaster's launch cable during the coaster's launch sequence. The four guests were treated at the park's first aid station; two of those guests had further treatments done at a local hospital.[2]
Chaos
- On July 30, 2001, the rotating portion of the Chaos ride separated from the stationary portion.[3] Of the thirty-three people on the ride, thirty-one were taken to area hospitals, most with minor injuries. An investigation put the blame on both poor maintenance which allowed bolts to loosen, twist and break; as well as on structural fatigue fractures that were discovered afterwards.[4] Following the accident, the ride, manufactured by Chance Rides, was removed from the park.
Willard's Whizzer
- On March 29, 1980, an unnamed 14-year-old boy was killed and eight others injured when two ride vehicles collided. The park's owners were charged with not reporting a possible defect in the ride's braking system.[5]
- On July 9, 2006, a support timber on the wooden roller coaster cracked, resulting in the coaster's track dropping several inches. 27 riders were injured.[6] Most of the injuries were of the chest or neck. Of those injured, 17 people were released from hospitals within five hours of the accident and two were admitted. None of the injuries were life-threatening. Before the ride will open for riders again, Kings Island will dismantle the portion of the ride that had the cracked support beam for state inspection, and then will rebuild and test the new section. (Was not a Cedar Fair property at the time of the incident)[7]
- On May 21, 2006, the back car of Wild Thing became disconnected from the rest of the train as it was nearing the station and beginning to brake at the end of the ride. A mounting bracket supporting brakes on the track had malfunctioned, damaging the rear axle of the 5th car. This caused the 6th car to break free from the train, and tip over into a fence adjacent to the roller coaster, injuring 18 people. 14 of these were taken to nearby St. Francis Medical Center, but all injuries were minor and all were treated and released. The Wild Thing reopened on June 1, after a number of inspections and tests cleared it as safe to ride again.[8][9][10]
Orient Express
- On July 17, 1999, two cars on the ride derailed, stranding 18 people. Two people were immediately taken to the hospital, with six others being sent to the hospital later. None of the injuries were life-threatening.[11] During a subsequent investigation, it was determined that the cars derailed due to severe internal metal fatigue in a metal support post.[12]
- On June 30, 1995, 14-year-old Ryan Bielby was killed when she fell about 25ft. She was reportedly switching seats when the accident occurred. The ride was temporarily shut down pending the results of an investagation of its safety features, which resulted in new lapbars being installed. The park's owners at the time, Hunt-Midwest, and the ride's builder, the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, gave the mother $200,000 in a settlement.[13]
References
- ^ "Carowinds' BORG malfunctions during tests". Herald-Life. 2007-03-19. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ^ "Riders Injured on Top Thrill Dragster". WTOL-TV. 2004-07-13. Retrieved 2006-07-31.
- ^ State of Michigan (2002-02-06). "Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services (CIS) Cites Mechanical Failure as Cause of Michigan Adventure's 2001 Chaos Ride Accident". Retrieved 2006-08-02.
- ^ MassTort.org. "Various legal documents pertaining to the Chaos incident at Michigan's Adventure, including photographs of bolts and ride diagrams from investigation" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-08-03.
- ^ "Commission Files Complaints Following Fatal Accidents On Amusement Park Rides". U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 1980-08-29. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
- ^ "Official: Cracked Wood May Have Caused Coaster Accident". WCPO. 2006-07-10. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
- ^ "Son Of Beast Accident Blamed On Design Flaw". WCPO. 2006-08-04. Retrieved 2007-01-22.
- ^ KSTP-TV (2006). "Valley Fair coaster accident injures 18". Retrieved 2006-05-21.
- ^ KARE (2006). "Inspection team determines cause of rollercoaster crash". Retrieved 2006-05-25.
- ^ KARE (2006). "Wild Thing reopens". Retrieved 2006-06-01.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
worldfunwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Officials find cause of July derailment of roller coaster". AP. 1999-11-17. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- ^ "Roller coaster derails at amusement park". Topeka Capital Journal. 1999-07-18. Retrieved 2007-01-30.