The Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point.Photo: cedar point
A woman visiting Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio was injured on Sunday after being hit with a piece of metal that came loose from a roller coaster.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. local time when a “small metal object” broke off from a train that was ending its run on the popular Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster, Tony Clark, a spokesperson for Cedar Point, toldlocal news outlet Cleveland.com.
Clark said that the object struck the woman, who was waiting in line for the ride at the time.
“The park’s EMS team and Sandusky Fire Department responded immediately, and the guest was transported to the hospital for medical care,” said Clark in a statement released on Sunday. “At this time, our focus is on the guest and her family.”
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was later transferred to a trauma center,Fox-affiliate station WJW reported.
Her condition remains unknown as of Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for Cedar Point did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Cedar Point amusement park.google maps
Opened in 2003, the Top Thrill Dragster is a strata roller coaster thatreaches a top speed of 120 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds, according to the Cedar Point website.
“The Ohio Department of Agriculture takes very seriously the safety of all amusement rides that operate in the state. An ODA inspector was onsite at Cedar Point immediately after notification of the accident Sunday afternoon involving the Top Thrill Dragster. Two inspectors, ODA’s Chief of Amusement Ride Safety and enforcement agents are at Cedar Point today, performing an inspection of the ride and investigation of the accident,” the department said in a statement to WJW on Monday.
“Due to the changes in ride inspections implemented through Tyler’s Law, this ride is required to be inspected twice a year, with a minimum of two inspectors performing each inspection,” the statement read. “The previous requirement was one inspection a year. The second inspection for the Top Thrill Dragster for this year was planned for September.”
An eyewitness to the incident described the object that struck the woman as a metal disc.
“I saw the thing hit the crowd, the lady fell, I heard it bounce off the concrete. It was something metal. It wasn’t a small object. It was pretty big — bigger than the palm of my hand,” John Mc Dermott told Cleveland.com. “Itlooked like a metal disc flying through the air.”
“I feel bad for the little kids who were standing in line,” Mc Dermott added.
source: people.com
