SF Seeks To Dismantle Ride That Took Girl's Feet

[The Interpreter]

http://www.wlky.com/news/14731013/detail.html

[The Interpreter]

Ride that maimed girl to be torn down:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS01/711300831

[Guest kwindshawne]

Probably a good idea.

[flying eagles]

the way it looks like the ride will be around for a while.

[The Interpreter]

Why? As I posted this morning, the judge has said demolishing can begin on February 1.

[Browntggrr]

I really wonder what the hold-up has been in choosing a company to examine the cable.

Additionally, why would a judge order a ride to be dismantled before the investigation is completed?

This is rather strange....

[The Interpreter]

Preservation of evidence has been a major concern for the plaintiffs here. But, Six Flags is in the amusement park business, and it can be argued the ride's continued presence has a negative effect on that ongoing business. Also, the ride is to be preserved in a warehouse at Kentucky Kingdom.

[DeLorean Rider]

Preservation of evidence has been a major concern for the plaintiffs here. But, Six Flags is in the amusement park business, and it can be argued the ride's continued presence has a negative effect on that ongoing business. Also, the ride is to be preserved in a warehouse at Kentucky Kingdom.

Of course, that way in case another Six Flags park with a gen 2 drop ride needs a spare part, like say a lifting cable, instead of buying new they can just snag one of these used ones for free.

[flightoffear1996]

I think it would be dumb to tear the ride down and heres why. Yes, the accident did happen and it probaly changed many lifes forever such as the girls and her family but the accident did happen and this is only going to allow saftey to improve on the ride and I'm 100% sure that if the ride was allowed to reopen that this accident would no longer happen. With out accidents like this engineers can't learn how to improve the saftey of rides and attractions. Such as Son of Beast for an example engineers learned not to mix heavy trains and high speeds with a weak wooden structure. Now if SOB would have been built with the new prototype steel (wooden supports) like the ones found on voyage it may still have its loop in place today.

[Shaggy]

I'm 100% sure that if the ride was allowed to reopen that this accident would no longer happen.

So without question, you are absolutely, positively, completely sure that there would never be another accident?

Your dreaming. The ride was the FIRST second generation free-fall. It was the prototype and has been plagued with mechanical issues and downtime ever since it's install and well before the Lassiter accident.

Tearing it down is not only the best move for safety reasons... but it also allieviates the park from having a morbid reminder of a terrible tradgedy. The ride is the first thing guests see when they enter the front gate. IMO, that is the equivilent of putting a rolled-over top-heavy SUV in the showroom of a new car dealership.

To give you an idea of the adverse effect the accident had on folks here in Louisville... well, people are sarcastically calling it "Footloose-the ride" and many are adamant that they will not return to the park due to safety concerns on other attractions. It's sick that they joke that way, but there's always truth in humor.

Shaggy

[WooferBearATL]

I'm 100% sure that if the ride was allowed to reopen that this accident would no longer happen.

So without question, you are absolutely, positively, completely sure that there would never be another accident?

Your dreaming. The ride was the FIRST second generation free-fall. It was the prototype and has been plagued with mechanical issues and downtime ever since it's install and well before the Lassiter accident.

Tearing it down is not only the best move for safety reasons... but it also allieviates the park from having a morbid reminder of a terrible tradgedy. The ride is the first thing guests see when they enter the front gate. IMO, that is the equivilent of putting a rolled-over top-heavy SUV in the showroom of a new car dealership.

To give you an idea of the adverse effect the accident had on folks here in Louisville... well, people are sarcastically calling it "Footloose-the ride" and many are adamant that they will not return to the park due to safety concerns on other attractions. It's sick that they joke that way, but there's always truth in humor.

Shaggy

Footloose the Ride?

Oh my Gawd! I just about spit coffee all over my puter!

That is cute.

[flightoffear1996]

Im just trying to put out the point that accidents only make rides safter. Ride are machines and yes they do have breakdowns but many do not cause human injury. If a ride has mechinal problems its like saying your car you paid $25,000 for needs new breaks you better get rid of it. Maintance is built into the parks budget for rides. Soon people will forget about the accident much like they did Son of Beast. O yea free fall rides are usually one of the more people drawers to the park and without it they may lose alot of vistors. If the remove it fine if they don't fine it doesn't matter to me one way or another cause I will probaly never visit the park but just because the ride has one accident doesn't mean it should be removed. The Beast had an accident did they remove that? No!!!!!!! Did people quit riding it? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! The fact that cable broke was probaly a maintance issue that should have be caught before the ride was even opened but wasn't. Its not a desgin flaw but a maintance flaw.

[BoddaH1994]

You do make a valid point, FOF1996, however I agree that the damage the ride does goes far beyond the incident last season. The patrons of the park don't need a large standing reminder of this tragedy, in the form of a ride that SF doesn't even want anymore.

[flightoffear1996]

How can you not want a freefall ride in your park as they always have the longest lines in the entire park. The only way I can see thinking about ever removing the ride is if it is replaced by another freefall ride. Who says people don't want to be reminded of the Son of Beast accident, Beast accident or oh my the person that died because they had a heart condtion and rode Top Gun. I mean it was the rides fault but to be reminded of that. Oh My!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BoddaH1994]

This was a much worse incident than most of anything that's happened at KI. This was a terrible thing... I'm going to go WAY out on a limb here and say that it would have almost been easier on the park had someone died. This was a VERY graphic incident with results that this girl will have to live with for the rest of her life.

[flightoffear1996]

True but the SOB accident where people there were broken ribs and was probaly closer to becoming a much much worse accident if the ride operators weren't as well trained as they are at keeping the riders safe. Just think if one more train would have travel through that bad section of track Lord only knows what would have happened and what about that people that had broken there necks on the Son of Beast when it first opened? King Cobra derailment? Tower Johnny accident. O no we better tear down the effeil tower it isnt safe!!!! If you are always looking into the past and not the future you will never be able to live life to the fullest.

PS: I would rather not have my feet than be dead!

[faeriewench]

Ok? Hershey Park don't have a major freefall and they are doing fine without one currently. Sonny incident is a poor comparison. It wasn't as bad as this one....she actually lost body parts and probably isn't walking.... last I heard they were facing a possibility of her being unable to really walk.. Dunno how accurate that was though.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

Im just trying to put out the point that accidents only make rides safter. Ride are machines and yes they do have breakdowns but many do not cause human injury. If a ride has mechinal problems its like saying your car you paid $25,000 for needs new breaks you better get rid of it. Maintance is built into the parks budget for rides. Soon people will forget about the accident much like they did Son of Beast. O yea free fall rides are usually one of the more people drawers to the park and without it they may lose alot of vistors. If the remove it fine if they don't fine it doesn't matter to me one way or another cause I will probaly never visit the park but just because the ride has one accident doesn't mean it should be removed. The Beast had an accident did they remove that? No!!!!!!! Did people quit riding it? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! The fact that cable broke was probaly a maintance issue that should have be caught before the ride was even opened but wasn't. Its not a desgin flaw but a maintance flaw.

I agree with Shaggy on this one.

There are other similar rides nationwide that Intamin can examine in search of ways to prevent accidents such as this from happening in the future but the ride in question has developed a stained reputation & due to the local publicity most people in the park's geographic market won't set foot on it in light of what happened.

Take the two face mishap at SFA for instance.....twice in the span of less than a month the ride malfunctioned in a similar manner to an earlier malfunction only three or four seasons prior but this time people were injured when the evacuation procedure somehow went wrong.I know for a fact that it was all over every local news channel in the DC metro area & as a result locals are gonna take one look at the ride's checkered past & not want to ride it next season(I'm sure not gonna) assuming the state allows them to reopen it in 08 so SFA,like SFKK may be better off getting rid of a problematic ride that has caused problems for them both in terms of operations & negative publicity.

[MrPKI]

^Ironic that those two parks were the one's left unmentioned in SF's capital improvements release, huh.

Although the second article does mention that they have most likely picked out a ride to put in it's place after the removal. I'm guessing it's probably just a small ride they've had in storage, unless they bought something from Wild West World (seems unlikely). Anyone have any guesses?

[flightoffear1996]

Yea but if they remove the ride its not going to change the fact that it happened and guest may still shy away from there park cause if one ride was faulty may make the public wonder what else is faulty? Also by removing the ride may give the public of the feel that the park is trying to hide something and deny its past.

[AZ Kinda Guy]

You just don't get it FOF1996.

[flightoffear1996]

No I just don't like seeing rides dismantled.

[faeriewench]

No I just don't like seeing rides dismantled.

It's a ride...not a human..

[flightoffear1996]

Its always sad to see a ride go (even if its not human)

[faeriewench]

Well this rides time has come to an end. Let it go. It would never regain much popularity no matter how safe they can make it. People still wouldn't trust the ride.

[WooferBearATL]

Yea but if they remove the ride its not going to change the fact that it happened and guest may still shy away from there park cause if one ride was faulty may make the public wonder what else is faulty? Also by removing the ride may give the public of the feel that the park is trying to hide something and deny its past.

Local Folk and park enthusiast may have that present in their minds.

But for the general public and those that travel from out of the area, it's likely already forgotten.

[Browntggrr]

There is no doubt that the ride has to go.

I just question the timing and the reasons it has to go after February 1st, 2008.

I also have a difficult time believing that if the ride would be standing for 2008 that it would have a negative effect on SFKK's gate. What are people going to do, drive into the parking lot, see that the ride is still there, get a bad feeling, and drive back out? That is a stretch.

Being a guest at the park, I would personally feel better knowing that the ride was SBNO only due to a complete and thorough investigation. Not that they are not doing that now, but, how can two parties not agree on a cable inspector in over 6 months? Litigation is always slow, but c'mon, wouldn't SF want to know the exact reasons why this accident happened for other like rides to possibly prevent the same thing in the future?

Or are they hiding something?

[neo8820]

O yea free fall rides are usually one of the more people drawers to the park and without it they may lose alot of vistors.

Usually is the key word here. STOP was not a major reason people came to the park. It was almost always a walk on or at most a 2 cycle wait.

[neo8820]

^Ironic that those two parks were the one's left unmentioned in SF's capital improvements release, huh.

Although the second article does mention that they have most likely picked out a ride to put in it's place after the removal. I'm guessing it's probably just a small ride they've had in storage, unless they bought something from Wild West World (seems unlikely). Anyone have any guesses?

The kiddie part of the park bumps right up next to STOP. My guess is a small flat to add to the kiddie area.

[Monroe]

http://www.wcpo.com/mostpopular/story.aspx...fa-6d452d152bbb

I find it odd how wcpo just HAD to put a local spin on this, not to mention the dramatization. "It's not known if the Drop Zone will also be torn down." Oh well, I guess your right to know supersedes your right to exist.