Roller coaster accidents don’t happen too frequently, but when they do, they tend to make the headlines pretty quickly. For tons of people, the excitement of the sharp turns and steep drops of the amusement park attractions are something to look forward to. Some even travel the world seeking out their next big coaster adventure. For other thrill-seekers, though, the fast-paced rides turn into death traps. Here are five of the deadliest roller coaster accidents ever recorded.
Perhaps the biggest roller coaster accident that has ever been recorded happened in China at the Overseas China Town East amusement park located in Shenzhen. Named Space Journey, the ride was supposed to give coaster-goers the feeling of being in a real-life rocket launch. The ride carried 40 people at one time and had four separate cabins that all spun simultaneously. In June of 2010, one of these cabins, which was spinning at an extreme speed, came loose, crashing into one of the other four cabins. This caused the entire ride to dive 50 feet to the ground. Ten people were badly injured and five people died in this accident.
One of the famous Six Flags theme parks was the setting of the next deadly coaster accident. At a location in Georgia in 2008, a teenager who reportedly lost his hat while riding the Batman coaster decided to climb two fences blocked off to pedestrians in order to retrieve the lost item. Signs on the fences clearly stated that the areas that the teen ventured into were off-limits and dangerous. The trip to retrieve an insignificant item cost him his life, as the coaster, which was traveling at top speed, hit and decapitated the young man.
Rewind to 1986 to the popular coaster Mindbender; an indoor ride with three loops, located in Canada. One of the four trains, which were full at the time, became loose and veered off the tracks. It was later reported that the wheels were missing bolts. The safety bars that were designed to hold the passengers in the train came undone and rose from the customer’s laps after the train crashed. This accident caused the death of three and nearly ended the life of a fourth. Others were stuck on one of the highest sections of the track for a period of time. Out of the 5 deadliest roller coaster accidents ever recorded, this one may have been the most easily preventable. With just standard maintenance, the accident could have been avoided.
Though it goes without saying that every roller coaster accident is tragic, this one might just be the most devastating to hear about. The incident occurred at the Darien Lake amusement park located near Buffalo, New York in 2011. A returning Iraq war vet, who had lost both of his legs during combat, was cleared by Ride of Steel roller coaster staff to board the ride. The war veteran, Sgt. James Hackemer, specifically asked amusement park staff members which rides would be safe for him to go on. Unfortunately, this ride turned out to be his last. When one of the coaster trains went racing over a small incline in the tracks, Hackemer slid through the harnesses that were keeping him strapped into the train, and horrifically, he fell to his death.
One of the first recorded roller coaster accidents took place in 1930, at an amusement park called Krug Park, in Omaha, Nebraska. In yet another case of faulty equipment, bolts on the train of the Big Dipper coaster came loose and sent it plummeting to the ground. The ride was at its maximum capacity at the time and ended up killing four people.
Summer is upon us and families and friends all over the world are surely mapping out their next amusement park adventure. The last thing on the minds of the those flooding the gates of the parks bright and early should be deadly roller coaster accidents. Hopefully, though, customers seeking out their next big adrenaline buzz don’t end up getting more than they bargained for, and will avoid making the next list of the five deadliest roller coaster accidents ever recorded.
By: Lauren DiDonato
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