tdsteele Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Saturday, July 7, 1984 - A woman was flung from the Rail Blazer stand-up roller coaster ride at Six Flags Over Mid-America theme park in Eureka, Missouri. The woman was whipped from the train and fell 20 feet to her death. Park officials claimed that the woman fainted, causing her to fall out. A passenger standing next to the woman during her fall said that the woman had not fainted, but was simply "flipped out" of the ride. Rail Blazer trains did not have any kind of bicycle seat like stand-up trains have now. They consisted of a shoulder harness and a padded square that pressed up against your knees to keep them straight. http://www.rcdb.com/ig496.htm?picture=10 The restraints were supposedly just like this train from Worlds of Fun, which didn't last very long either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigellinus Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 WOW!!! And I thought the Nitro restraints were a little too forgiving....those are just crazy unsafe looking! I'd feel better in most fair rides compared to that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angimac Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I swear I remember someone being either killed or hurt on KC. There was a part of the track that sat lower to the ground that made a sharp lean to the left then went right back up. It derailed on that lean. I believe that part was then taken out and just made straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I swear I remember someone being either killed or hurt on KC. There was a part of the track that sat lower to the ground that made a sharp lean to the left then went right back up. It derailed on that lean. I believe that part was then taken out and just made straight. Please read the previous three pages. That is not asking too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdsteele Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 WOW!!! And I thought the Nitro restraints were a little too forgiving....those are just crazy unsafe looking! I'd feel better in most fair rides compared to that! Notice everyone is holding on tightly in that pic!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iChase Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I would be too! Who designed those restraints and said, "Yeah! Those will be safe."? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Someone who probably used to work in the industry.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iChase Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I love that. USED to work in the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Butcher Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I love that. USED to work in the industry. Seconded, ROFL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dare-to-fly Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 At first glance I thought the same thing, but if you look closely, there is a belt that goes around the middle at least. That prevents you from flying out sideways. That's something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Whoah! Those restraints are very strange. I wonder what the height limit was for Extremeroller? The OTSR couldn't go up or down, so i am sure there was a strict height restriction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monroe Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 There was supposed to be, some where around 6'4" I believe but don't quote me. Not enforced vary well, imagine that. I also thought that the minimum was way too low, take a look at the picture, some of the people only their heads are in the harness. ^^Also the belts are meant to be secondary restraint just like on most all coasters with belts. I have been on EXT (once and only once) the belt did not do much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigellinus Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 ^^Yeah, I mean, a loose belt isn't going to stop you from falling out if you were upside down!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garret Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I swear I remember someone being either killed or hurt on KC. There was a part of the track that sat lower to the ground that made a sharp lean to the left then went right back up. It derailed on that lean. I believe that part was then taken out and just made straight. I'm trying to find some pictures of the King Cobra when it derailed. They were in the Enquirer at the time so I know they're out there somewhere. As far as anyone being injured or killed on the KC. I know of no on-ride accidents other than the aforementioned derailing in the helix, but I do recall a ride employee being hit in the head by the train while sweeping underneath the station. I don't recall the extent of the injury, but due to the way the TOGO design has the guide wheels riding along the outside of the track, I can see how somebody too close could be struck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDCOASTERFAN Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 the person that was killed at kings dominion's togo was called shock wave. No, the person that died on that coaster was called Daniel Watkins. The coaster was, and is, called Shockwave. IIRC it was an Asian guy who was thrown from Shockwave just as the ride was going into it's final curve before heading to the brakerun,he was showing off & had somehow gotten out of his restraint hence the reason for the belts being added when the ride was cleared to re-open. Interestingly enough the coaster that Shockwave replaced,Galaxi also had a fatality when a 13 year old was thrown from the ride which is why it was removed...I guess that site is cursed or something for two deaths to occur on coasters built on the same footprint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I can't believe someone thought those restraints would be sufficient. Love how they only ran stand up trains for 1 seasson on EXT. Bad Idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer1972 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 That could be the case to the deaths, but i do know that togo coasters are prone to derailing and poor safety restraints. The expo land coaster that derailed was togo and shockwave is togo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 So that means all togos are prone to "derailing and poor safety restraints?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDCOASTERFAN Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 That could be the case to the deaths, but i do know that togo coasters are prone to derailing and poor safety restraints. The expo land coaster that derailed was togo and shockwave is togo. Yeah but the Expoland coaster was never inspected...not even once in the 15 years since it was built so the park was at fault for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Very True, but Im sure Togo's track record didn't help. Might be why they no longer exist. Funny that their US headquarters were in Cincy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplebanon Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I was at KI the day King Cobra partially derailed. I don't remember there being serious injuries, and certainly not a death. Strangely enough, I was also there the night the 2 people died in separate instances on Flight Commander and in the pond behind the Shrimp Shack. Strang that I was there on these several days. I was also in line for The Bat once (next to get on) when the train pulled out of the station started up the hill, and came rolling back down quickly. The emergency brakes caught it at the bottom, but alot of people got whiplash and some other minor injuries. Needless to say, I got out of line and didn't wait around to see if they were going to continue. LOL. I guess I'm bad luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesMC Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 As far as the accident at Six Flags St. Louis goes (stand up restraints): The ride (Rail Blazer) was converted from one half of the River King Mine Train- there would not have been an apparent concern to overly restrain the passengers as it was a 'tame' layout with gentle drops and curves found on most mine train rides. The maximum height differential was less than 50ft. from structure to ground. The inherent problem was that because of the mine-train mentality, the restraints were under-engineered for larger body types, and without FULLY securing taller/or larger people, that a directional change after the lift hill, allowed one rider to fall to her death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I was at KI the day King Cobra partially derailed. I don't remember there being serious injuries, and certainly not a death. Strangely enough, I was also there the night the 2 people died in separate instances on Flight Commander and in the pond behind the Shrimp Shack. Strang that I was there on these several days. I was also in line for The Bat once (next to get on) when the train pulled out of the station started up the hill, and came rolling back down quickly. The emergency brakes caught it at the bottom, but alot of people got whiplash and some other minor injuries. Needless to say, I got out of line and didn't wait around to see if they were going to continue. LOL. I guess I'm bad luck. I'm pretty sure only one person died on Flight Commander. The Bat story doesn't sound likely either. The coaster would have had anti-rollbacks and unless they failed, the train wouldn't come back into the station quickly, if at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 On a seperate note, I almost fell out of flight commander. I was just over the height limit and a scrawny kid. When we rolled the plane my legs came free and where hanging over my head. Was not a cool experience. Very happy the day they tore it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigellinus Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 ^^Try riding Nitro with a very loose shell-bar!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I had a similar experience with that on Grizzly at KD. Lots of lap bar play + loose seat belt = massive airtime especially on the station return Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angimac Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I was at KI the day King Cobra partially derailed. I don't remember there being serious injuries, and certainly not a death. Strangely enough, I was also there the night the 2 people died in separate instances on Flight Commander and in the pond behind the Shrimp Shack. Strang that I was there on these several days. I was also in line for The Bat once (next to get on) when the train pulled out of the station started up the hill, and came rolling back down quickly. The emergency brakes caught it at the bottom, but alot of people got whiplash and some other minor injuries. Needless to say, I got out of line and didn't wait around to see if they were going to continue. LOL. I guess I'm bad luck. I'm pretty sure only one person died on Flight Commander. The Bat story doesn't sound likely either. The coaster would have had anti-rollbacks and unless they failed, the train wouldn't come back into the station quickly, if at all. I think that was meant as 1 death at Flight Commander and 1 at the pond = 2 instances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropZone99 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I was at KI the day King Cobra partially derailed. I don't remember there being serious injuries, and certainly not a death. Strangely enough, I was also there the night the 2 people died in separate instances on Flight Commander and in the pond behind the Shrimp Shack. Strang that I was there on these several days. I was also in line for The Bat once (next to get on) when the train pulled out of the station started up the hill, and came rolling back down quickly. The emergency brakes caught it at the bottom, but alot of people got whiplash and some other minor injuries. Needless to say, I got out of line and didn't wait around to see if they were going to continue. LOL. I guess I'm bad luck. Were you also there on July 9th. 2006 in line for Son of Beast? Or on the Eiffel Tower when Johny died? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnarkiller Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I wish I could have rode King Cobra, The Bat, or Flight Commander but not during any of the accidents lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigellinus Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 ^^King Cobra was awesome!! (which I re-affirmed this summer after riding Canada's Wonderland's version!) I though Flight Commander sucked due to the very tight OTSR's (but I am a tall person). And The Bat....well, my first ever KI visit was in 1986 as a 4 year-old!! But I did think Screamin' Demon was pretty cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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