Top Thrill Dragster Incident

[Oldschool75]

This was reportedly posted on a news page. This is supposed to be what flew off TTD. A guest picked it up and said they were keeping it.
If true, this would definitely squash some of the cover up rumors, but dang....who would ever keep such a thing and impede an investigation??
EDIT: link to article describing the part below:
https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/08/18/conflicting-stories-after-cedar-point-accident-leaves-guest-seriously-injured/
 

You really have to ask that question? Rofl.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[disco2000]

To add on to one of my earlier posts where I mentioned that there are lots of articles over the years addressing how the lack of federal oversight of amusement rides means that there is no reporting mechanism for the parks themselves or the ride manufacturers to report injuries or mechanical failures to any organization, so most keep quiet about the number of injuries that happen every year or provide any more details than necessary for any incident.  They are in the business of attracting guests, not scaring them away, so of course they are going to downplay any incident.

The official police report obtained by the media through an open records request to the city did not have the victims name on it, nor was it redacted, it was simply blank.  Further, the phone number provided was called by the media and the person that answered said they were not at the park that day, has no connection to the victim, and knows nothing about the situation.

I am not suggesting a cover-up; I am simply pointing out that this is the norm for amusement park accidents.  Parks are tight-lipped and most information ends up coming out from the victim, their family, and eyewitness accounts in the media.

So at this point, any information about the victim will likely have to come from the victim or the family.  I would be shocked if CF attorneys haven't been working overtime to reach a settlement with a gag order.

[coaster sally]

What has Tony Clark said about it?

[Kenban]

A little history lesson.  Kingda Ka opened with a queue in the rides infield, it was much smaller then the one on TTD and the overflow queue which was not located inside the ride first turned into the temporary queue after an accident which ended up becoming the permanent queue and is still in use today.

The original queue did not even last the first season.  A few months after the ride opened the launch malfunctioned.  The catch car encountered too much resistance due to problems with loose material in the trough in which it travels.  This resistance meant that the train was accelerating much slower then it should.  

The rollback brakes are not controlled by sensors but instead work off of timers.  So while it looks like they follow the train down the launch track they raise based on where the train should be but if it’s not in the correct location they can catch up to the train and overtake it.  The launch computer at the time was programmed to provide additional power if the train will not gain enough speed to clear the top hat.  Not moving fast enough, increase power, still not fast enough, increase power, etc.

So the ride raised the brakes, under and in front of the train which immediately slowed the train, causing the launch computer to command more, and more and more power from the launch motor.  The magnetic brakes are not designed to withstand the full force of the launch motor.  Worst case was supposed to be a roll back, not trying to drag the train through them with a 20,800 horsepower motor.  The ride destroyed a number of brake fins, and other parts of the launch.  My understanding is the train was damaged and I have no idea how much debris this generated.

The state opened an investigation and in the end it was decided that the infield queue would close.  I have heard it was the state who forced the queues closure but I am not certain.  The ride was closed for a while between the investigation and the fact that many parts are custom made and had to be special ordered from Intamin.  The ride even had a launch viewing area basically where the TTD stands are located which also permanently closed.

 

I think Cedar Point will reopen TTD.  But I hate to say it’s time for them to learn from Six Flags and move or enclose the queue.  Also close the viewing area or add additional barriers between the viewing areas and the launch.  I personally think a plexiglass wall which extends several feet over the top of the launch and then angles out over top of the track would be enough.

[King Ding Dong]

The plexiglass solution might work at some parks but would be ugly at CP.   Bugs.  

[SonofBaconator]

1 hour ago, Kenban said:

I think Cedar Point will reopen TTD.  But I hate to say it’s time for them to learn from Six Flags and move or enclose the queue.  Also close the viewing area or add additional barriers between the viewing areas and the launch.  I personally think a plexiglass wall which extends several feet over the top of the launch and then angles out over top of the track would be enough.

I couldn't agree more. I'm sure the lawyers see it as a liability at this point. They'll probably get some type of audit. If the que isn't enclosed or more barriers added, I could see the que being relocated.

[IndyGuy4KI]

Interview with ER nurse passholder who was in queue when this happened.

https://www.wkyc.com/video/entertainment/places/cedar-point/er-nurse-waiting-in-line-at-cedar-point-describes-scene-after-small-metal-object-fell-on-female-guest-near-top-thrill-dragster/95-a0cf643f-a838-43b9-a48d-4190aa7c0ea6?jwsource=cl

[Browntggrr]

Nurse practitioner that helped the victim and wrote the posted Cedar Point incident report:

https://www.wfmj.com/story/44532804/canfield-nurse-practitioner-helps-cedar-point-woman-injured-by-top-thrill-dragster

[coaster sally]

"I worked alongside my father and he always taught me, it's the Good Samaritan act," Zinni said. "If you're at a place and you see something happen, you go and help."

 

She is not seeking any attention.

[disco2000]

Most people do what they need to do and disappear without calling attention to their good act.

She has not and went to social media to talk about how great she is.

The fact that she was a nurse and has gone to about every social media outlet to brag about what she did and posted details of the extent of the injuries crossed the line, as many medical professionals believe:

https://www.midlevel.wtf/obnoxious-fnp-tells-ems-that-she-has-a-medical-degree-in-emergency-medicine-interferes-with-scene/?fbclid=IwAR2oYJHeXlXliSkWeyWMaBVMtVu3uwsH79ETxKwHFtM5jolWK1VaUAEw2ZE

[KI FANATIC 37]

^ Man that article is rough. It goes in on her. 

 

I tried to hear her yell "I have an MD Im an ER doc" but I couldn't hear that in the vid I watched again. Im hoping she didn't say that..

[BeeastFarmer]

7 hours ago, KI FANATIC 37 said:

^ Man that article is rough. It goes in on her. 

 

I tried to hear her yell "I have an MD Im an ER doc" but I couldn't hear that in the vid I watched again. Im hoping she didn't say that..

Well, she seems to have trouble with reality.  Remember, she claimed she was covered in the patient's blood while posting a picture of her exhausted full frontal self, wearing a white t-shirt.

[DoomPlague]

I hope she (the injured woman) is now recovering well. I was in line for TTD a couple weeks ago and I can't imagine... and if something had happened to the nephew who was in line with me...

 

Been a rough year for Intamin rides hasn't it? Though some would say that's every year.

[coaster sally]

50 minutes ago, DoomPlague said:

I hope she (the injured woman) is now recovering well. I was in line for TTD a couple weeks ago and I can't imagine... and if something had happened to the nephew who was in line with me...

 

Been a rough year for Intamin rides hasn't it? Though some would say that's every year.

Why the dig?  Obviously it is parks' maintenance problems.  

[DoomPlague]

26 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

Why the dig?  Obviously it is parks' maintenance problems.  

Just pointing out that their rides specifically have had issues this season and that many people think its a reoccurring pattern with the company's rides. It may well be an issue with CP's maintenance but it's also possible that it's one of those things that the manufacturer failed to warn the park about which wouldn't be a first.

 

[JimParker85]

Xcelerator remaining open this whole time, while in the same chain, certainly makes you think they strongly suspect that this awful Dragster incident was a maintenance failure, and not something design related. Hershey and SF have continued to operate Storm Runner and Kingda Ka as well. But Xcelerator is the big one, being the prototype and in the same chain.

[coaster sally]

26 minutes ago, DoomPlague said:

Just pointing out that their rides specifically have had issues this season and that many people think its a reoccurring pattern with the company's rides. It may well be an issue with CP's maintenance but it's also possible that it's one of those things that the manufacturer failed to warn the park about which wouldn't be a first.

 

I mean it's been running for nearly 20 years.....

[DoomPlague]

13 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

I mean it's been running for nearly 20 years.....

It has also had numerous problems in that time span. I agree that its most likely a maintenance oversight but we don't know what the object is (as far as I've heard?) and it might be one of those things that they never worried about because they were never told it might become an issue after a decade or two. If you look at any older ride, you'll notice that not every part is maintained or replaced regularly, most likely because they were not emphasized by the manufacturer when the ride was installed.

The Drop Tower that severed a girls feet at Kentucky Kingdom had been running safely for 12 years. While the park did settle the lawsuit against them, Intamin also had to settle a lawsuit by the park, which tells me that Intamin knew that it shared some blame in the matter.

[coaster sally]

https://sanduskyregister.com/news/338320/cedar-point-fails-to-inform/

 

Cedar Point is losing trust with their hometown newspaper.

[Thabto]

The Register is an absolute joke. Everything they have posted since the initial report have been nothing but clickbait and bashing the park for not releasing information. They are just trying to cash in on this. This story is probably filling their pockets and they want to keep dragging it on. An investigation of this magnitude can't be done in a few days. I wouldn't expect any real news on this story for quite a long time. It should not be up to the park to give out info regarding the victim. That should be the family and they have a right to privacy.  The family probably doesn't want to be harassed by the media, nosy people and lawyers at this time. They are already going through enough. They can go through the procedure to get some info through public record but that doesn't mean that they should. 

[jsus]

28 minutes ago, Thabto said:

The Register is an absolute joke. 

Yesterday's article has the "journalist" showing no ability to dig into the subject and understand it.  Basically quoted an ODA spokesperson saying that they're asking the wrong people to look into the medical response aspect of things.  Instead of taking that as a critique and cue to keep digging.

Here's a hint, a freebie: the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Division of Amusement Ride Safety & Fairs has nothing to do with one (allegedly at least slightly intoxicated) FNP's "complaint" that CP EMT "mishandled" the situation.  If anyone investigates that, I dunno, maybe it's a board that oversees FNP licensing in Ohio to look into her actions, and whoever oversees EMTs in Ohio?  Why don't you start there?  As promised, I won't even send you a bill.

Side note, I do find it interesting that the family is suspiciously quiet, but no conclusions can readily be drawn from that.

[SonofBaconator]

6 minutes ago, jsus said:

Side note, I do find it interesting that the family is suspiciously quiet

I feel like the enthusiast community would flood them with so many questions that it might be better for them if they remain quiet.

[jsus]

Just now, SonofBaconator said:

I feel like the enthusiast community would flood them with so many questions that it might be better for them if they remain quiet.

Like I said, we can't really draw conclusions from that.  I certainly wouldn't want to be constantly pestered when my family was trying to recover, heal, and figure out the legal aspect.  It's just that typically you do hear from those involved in similar situations, as much as there are situations "similar" to this.

[SonofBaconator]

3 minutes ago, jsus said:

Like I said, we can't really draw conclusions from that.  I certainly wouldn't want to be constantly pestered when my family was trying to recover, heal, and figure out the legal aspect.  It's just that typically you do hear from those involved in similar situations, as much as there are situations "similar" to this.

That's true, however her condition might dictate the family's (and their lawyer's) willingness to publicly speak about her condition. We don't know what condition she's in so its hard to speculate.

[jsus]

1 minute ago, SonofBaconator said:

That's true, however her condition might dictate the family's (and their lawyer's) willingness to publicly speak about her condition. We don't know what condition she's in so its hard to speculate.

However what?  You're not disagreeing with me.  I'm not going to speculate on the family's silence since no conclusions can be drawn from it.  I wish the media would stop throwing tantrums that they can't ID and harass them.

[SonofBaconator]

6 minutes ago, jsus said:

However what?  You're not disagreeing with me.  I'm not going to speculate on the family's silence since no conclusions can be drawn from it.  I wish the media would stop throwing tantrums that they can't ID and harass them.

I must have read your post wrong, my apologies. 

I agree the media is upset because this is a major story that they can't really report any more on until the family makes a statement.

[coaster sally]

8 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

I must have read your post wrong, my apologies. 

I agree the media is upset because this is a major story that they can't really report any more on until the family makes a statement.

Maybe because all the other Intamin Accelerator coasters never shut down after the incident.  Looks as if CP is at fault.

[SonofBaconator]

23 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

Maybe because all the other Intamin Accelerator coasters never shut down after the incident.  Looks as if CP is at fault.

I said nothing about Intamin in the above post. I was saying that without any more information from the family or the victim herself, its hard to further report on a story which would upset any member of the media trying to get more information.

[coaster sally]

15 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

I said nothing about Intamin in the above post. I was saying that without any more information from the family or the victim herself, its hard to further report on a story which would upset any member of the media trying to get more information.

I feel the maintenance or lack there of is a good story.

[SonofBaconator]

37 minutes ago, coaster sally said:

I feel the maintenance or lack there of is a good story.

It is, but if nothing more is being said at this time then its hard to report on a story any further. Sure they can talk about the subject of maintenance, but that's all they'll really be able to discuss about the ride itself until the family makes a statement. I'm sure the Department of Agriculture will release information about their own investigation at their choosing but until that happens, discussions about the ride's upkeep are purely speculation unless another credible source provides information.