Top Thrill Dragster Incident

[BoddaH1994]

Hopefully she is okay!

https://sanduskyregister.com/news/337270/paramedics-on-scene-at-cedar-point/

[coaster sally]

https://sanduskyregister.com/news/337270/roller-coaster-part-falls-hits-guest/?fbclid=IwAR06Zej-7C931cde9y5-4aMR5JYsmcME77U9CCh1TQtUerJl6LdKug4pgEA

 

Part came off the train on the brake run and hit somebody. 

[IndyGuy4KI]

https://sanduskyregister.com/news/337270/roller-coaster-part-falls-hits-guest/

A woman sustained injuries Sunday at Cedar Point, where part of the Top Thrill Dragster fell and hit her.

"At approximately 4:30 (p.m.), a small metal object became disengaged from a train on the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster as it was ending its run," spokesman Tony Clark told the Register.

[SonofBaconator]

Lets hope she's alright.

The scary part was it was someone waiting in line who was struck. I wonder what part of the train disengaged and what speed was it going? Not making assumptions but I feel like the ride will be down for the rest of the summer season, if not the 2021 season. 

[Thabto]

Apparently, someone noticed something was wrong and was shouting to stop the ride.

https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/08/16/stop-ride-stop-ride-1-injured-after-being-hit-by-metal-object-top-thrill-dragster-cedar-point-says/?fbclid=IwAR0t1fwS7osRZoI3aA7VhVcSzRENIOgVO3QMdc-WOX4nedM3Ry7Azi5-AMQ

[Honorarius]

Very sad to hear, hope she makes a full recovery...

 

[Kenban]

Reports are the item came off the train in the brake run and the incident is not related to the launch.

Right now my best guess is a magnetic brake fin, or something else brake related.  While I am not aware of any injuries, there have been cases before where a fin or the train becomes misaligned enough that they strike each other.  I could see a fin getting sheared off and being thrown a decent distance.

I really hope that the eye witness accounts are wrong because the early reports are claiming the guest was struck in the head. Early reports are frequently found to be wrong, and a lot of what I just posted is based on rumors from people who claim they saw something.  So who knows what’s correct.

 

[Kenban]

Sandusky Register here is the latest update.

Quote

The person injured was taken to Firelands Regional Medical Center for treatment. She, however, has since been transferred to another facility, a hospital spokesperson said. Her condition is not known.

 

Well the good news is that the woman is alive.  That Firelands had to transfer her to another hospital is not good.  That suggests to me that the injuries are serious enough that the local regional hospital could not handle it.  I have some ideas but not willing to speculate right now.

[flightoffear1996]

My main concern is for the family. This should never happen!  This is not the first to TtD has been in the light for the wrong reasons. Time to swallow the pill and remove this thing. 

[SonofBaconator]

1 hour ago, Kenban said:

Sandusky Register here is the latest update.

 

Well the good news is that the woman is alive.  That Firelands had to transfer her to another hospital is not good.  That suggests to me that the injuries are serious enough that the local regional hospital could not handle it.  I have some ideas but not willing to speculate right now.

I wouldn't speculate the victim's wellbeing at this point. We can only hope and pray that she pulls through.

[SonofBaconator]

1 hour ago, flightoffear1996 said:

My main concern is for the family. This should never happen!  This is not the first to TtD has been in the light for the wrong reasons. Time to swallow the pill and remove this thing. 

Quote

• 50% of Cedar Point guests don’t want to ride Dick’s “dumbest decision”, Top Thrill Dragster. On a cost per rider basis, it is the most expensive ride in the park to operate.

https://www.coaster101.com/2016/01/12/book-review-dick-kinzel-biography/

I remember being told how much the cost went up to operate TTD, percentage wise, since its debut but I won't because I can't remember the specific number.

I don't want to turn this into a "Hate on TTD" thread but I wonder what the current ROI is for the nearly 20 year old stratacoaster

[jsus]

3 hours ago, Thabto said:

Apparently, someone noticed something was wrong and was shouting to stop the ride.

https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/08/16/stop-ride-stop-ride-1-injured-after-being-hit-by-metal-object-top-thrill-dragster-cedar-point-says/?fbclid=IwAR0t1fwS7osRZoI3aA7VhVcSzRENIOgVO3QMdc-WOX4nedM3Ry7Azi5-AMQ

I wouldn't read anything into that.  Without details, it could have been that they were shouting to "stop the ride" after the apparent projectile hit the unfortunate guest.  Running that as a headline sounds like someone knew something was wrong but the ride kept going, implying negligence on behalf of the ride ops, when we have no information that suggests that.  If anything, the wording makes it sound more like it happened in the order I suggested above.

  

1 hour ago, Kenban said:

Sandusky Register here is the latest update.

 

Well the good news is that the woman is alive.  That Firelands had to transfer her to another hospital is not good.  That suggests to me that the injuries are serious enough that the local regional hospital could not handle it.  I have some ideas but not willing to speculate right now.

Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky, Ohio, is a Level III Trauma Center.  Level I is the most equipped; FRMC is likely at a higher tier / lower level of care because of its smaller market.  Presumably the patient was transported for more intensive care to a Level I/II center in Cleveland or perhaps Toledo.  Pray that they're able to treat her injuries in time, that she survives this tragic incident.

[SonofBaconator]

9 minutes ago, jsus said:

Presumably the patient was transported for more intensive care to a Level I/II center in Cleveland or perhaps Toledo.

From my experience, most intensive care patients end up going to Cleveland.

[jsus]

Just now, SonofBaconator said:

From my experience, most intensive care patients end up going to Cleveland.

TBH I didn't really need to suggest Toledo.  Cleveland is far more likely, unless they don't have capacity.  Trauma patients likely aren't "competing" with COVID-19 patients, though, so the point holds.

[SonofBaconator]

Going back to the ride itself, I don't see it reopening for the 2021 season, regardless of this person's outcome, but I'm not a ride operator.

I wonder if an incident like this puts TTD as a candidate for removal down the road. It costs the park a ton of money to operate and it might now produce the ROI they want.

[Browntggrr]

There are so many possibilities on what happened.  Was it a train failure?  Track failure?  Brake failure?  Was it a lost personal item that became lodged in a brake fin and jammed in the bottom of the train?

Any accident is terrible.  Let's just hope that the injured will be ok moving forward.

I do have full confidence that CP/ CF will investigate this thoroughly and appropriate corrective actions taken.

[medford]

While the incident sounds terrible, and I pray for a full recovery, I will hold out hope that the victim was transported to be closer to their home, not because the injury was so serious that a level 3 trauma center couldn't handle it.

[Kenban]

Mostly because I dislike random speculation.  Here is a compilation of pieces of information that have been discussed on other sites.

The park made a statement yesterday not long after the incident which makes it clear that it was a piece of the train.  This is from a statement from Tony Clark.

Quote

At approximately 4:30 (p.m.), a small metal object became disengaged from a train on the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster as it was ending its run,"

Local police scanner listeners have stated that the ambulance requested a helicopter while it was on its way to the hospital.  In short they knew they needed to get her to a different hospital.  I have not listened to it myself but I believe a copy of the audio is available online.

A nurse who was in the line and helped treat the guest until paramedics arrived wrote an incident report for the park.  She claims she thought the park would lose it and took a photo of her report and posted it online.  I will not post the photo.  I do have a copy and it’s not hard to find.  The short hand used in the report are consistent with what would normally be found in something written by a medical professional, and people have confirmed the individual who posted the picture is a nurse.  
 

Note: Readers might not want to continue to read this.  The report in short states that the injury was to the right side of the head and that there was “visible brain matter”.

[medford]

Oh my, so much for my hope that the victim was transported just to be closer to home.  That doesn't sound good at all.

I'm sure this is being examined to determine if its a manufacturing defect or a maintenance issue (or perhaps both).  Seeing how the que line is in the middle of the ride and near the break area, I wonder if this incident will lead to future que lines being less interactive with the ride itself to avoid any potential future incidents

[jsus]

1 hour ago, Kenban said:

The park made a statement yesterday not long after the incident which makes it clear that it was a piece of the train.

I have to agree on that.  There doesn't appear to be any ambiguity that the metal object was part of the train.  The way it's described as "a small metal object" tells us they located the exact object that hit her.

Also, not having a medical background, the info about the ambulance requesting a transport copter makes sense, given she was already known to have been transported within a couple hours of the injury.  I'd expect them to at least take a few hours to assess and stabilize, if they didn't keep her overnight for observation, before sending her closer to home if that's all it was.

1 hour ago, medford said:

I'm sure this is being examined to determine if its a manufacturing defect or a maintenance issue (or perhaps both).  Seeing how the que line is in the middle of the ride and near the break area, I wonder if this incident will lead to future que lines being less interactive with the ride itself to avoid any potential future incidents

Trying not to read too much into things, but this incident combined with GateKeeper's chain failure earlier in this season does start to bring up worries about Cedar Point's ride maintenance program lately.  0 such incidents should be expected in a season, so to see 2 (1 causing hopefully non-fatal injuries) is very troubling.

[coaster sally]

30 minutes ago, jsus said:

I have to agree on that.  There doesn't appear to be any ambiguity that the metal object was part of the train.  The way it's described as "a small metal object" tells us they located the exact object that hit her.

Also, not having a medical background, the info about the ambulance requesting a transport copter makes sense, given she was already known to have been transported within a couple hours.  I'd expect them to at least take a few hours to assess and stabilize, if not overnight, before sending her closer to home if that's all it was.

Trying not to read too much into things, but this incident combined with GateKeeper's chain failure earlier in this season does start to bring up worries about Cedar Point's ride maintenance program lately.  0 such incidents should be expected in a season, so to see 2 (1 causing hopefully non-fatal injuries) is very troubling.

Thank you, for a ride that has been in operation for 18 seasons it falls on CP maintenance.  

[disco2000]

Anything, regardless of how often it is inspected or maintained, can still have a failure.  Even a perfectly maintained vehicle or airplane or HVAC unit can and does break-down.  Or a roller coaster for that matter.  Orion goes down several times a day.  Doesn't mean it isn't being maintained.

[coaster sally]

There isnreally nothing to shear off any bolts on the brake run side.  If anything a bolt that came off was due to being loose and slowing down from 120mph will launch any projectile.  

 

Prayers with the girl and her family.

[Browntggrr]

@Kenban I cannot put into words how terrible this is- for everyone involved.  I did not see the report you mentioned, but even thinking about it turns the stomach.  I can only hope it is not as serious as it sounds, but am fearful it is exactly as it sounds.

At this point, I do not see many differences between TTD and SoB.

I also wonder if other Intamins with similar cars & breaking systems will also be shut down for thorough inspection.

[jsus]

Sandusky Register update - points at a bolt coming loose, but obviously unconfirmed: 

Coaster victim screamed in pain

[Thabto]

This isn't the first time people have been hurt by something coming off the ride. There has also been some occasions where the cable frayed and people were hit by pieces of it. But the cable incidents were fairly minor compared to this. None of those incidents required somebody to go to a Trauma Center. It seems like this right is just becoming a liability. I'm sure it will be SBNO for the rest of the season. And the future of it might be questionable with the incidents plus CF is not exactly on good terms with Intamin. 

[Browntggrr]

^^ Her screaming in pain is actually a good thing as it shows somewhat normal brain activity.

And please understand I am in NO WAY toning down the seriousness of the accident, just trying to point some things out and looking for any positive news.

[BeeastFarmer]

2 hours ago, Kenban said:

Mostly because I dislike random speculation.  Here is a compilation of pieces of information that have been discussed on other sites.

The park made a statement yesterday not long after the incident which makes it clear that it was a piece of the train.  This is from a statement from Tony Clark.

Local police scanner listeners have stated that the ambulance requested a helicopter while it was on its way to the hospital.  In short they knew they needed to get her to a different hospital.  I have not listened to it myself but I believe a copy of the audio is available online.

A nurse who was in the line and helped treat the guest until paramedics arrived wrote an incident report for the park.  She claims she thought the park would lose it and took a photo of her report and posted it online.  I will not post the photo.  I do have a copy and it’s not hard to find.  The short hand used in the report are consistent with what would normally be found in something written by a medical professional, and people have confirmed the individual who posted the picture is a nurse.  
 

Note: Readers might not want to continue to read this.  The report in short states that the injury was to the right side of the head and that there was “visible brain matter”.

Ideally, a helicopter takes a trauma to the closest level one trauma center for direct assessment  and treatment.  In an amusement park, especially CP, this likely is not practical with the tall rides being obstacles, crowd control etc.  It is routine  for trauma victims to be taken to the nearest hospital for evaluation/treatment and stabalization and then life flighted to the nearest level one trauma center.  It has nothing to do with being close to home, preference of family or patient etc.  So requesting a helicopter while en route to the first hospital is quite logical.  There is a bit of logistical movement with availability of the chopper and staff on board.

Shame on this person who posted an incident report on the internet.  SHAME SHAME SHAME.  When s/he began to treat the patient, s/he began a sacred relationship.  To violate the patient's privacy by posting online is reprehensible.  S/he may not have been in a hospital, clinic, school or whatever  employ s/he has, but patient privacy is still in force outside the workplace.  I hope the nursing license is investigated and suspended and s/he is held to the highest standard of the law.

@Kenban thank you for the facts.  I am not disagreeing with your post, but quoted you because of the shock I experienced reading about the nurse posting this online.

[jsus]

3 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Ideally, a helicopter takes a trauma to the closest level one trauma center for direct assessment  and treatment.  In an amusement park, especially CP, this likely is not practical with the tall rides being obstacles, crowd control etc.

Makes perfect sense.  Unfortunately, I doubt on a busy Sunday that they even had room in the parking lot to land the helicopter even if they wanted to.  Having it meet them on the helipad at FRMC sounds like the next best option.  CPFD is on-site and SFD is at the end of the causeway for rapid response, FRMC ~5 miles out.  The helicopter also likely would've come from Cleveland, right?  So in the time it takes them to fly over, FRMC could begin treatment.

As for the nurse...  I can understand her wanting to keep her own records/notes, though suggesting that CP would just make the report disappear is a bit much.  I really don't know what she was thinking posting it.

[BeeastFarmer]

2 minutes ago, jsus said:

 

As for the nurse...  I can understand her wanting to keep her own records/notes, though suggesting that CP would just make the report disappear is a bit much.  I really don't know what she was thinking posting it.

And that is what she should have --kept her own  notes.  Maybe she thought that CP would supress the incident report to mitigate their liability.  Or maybe she thought when she posted it that she would capitalize on her act of being a hero (in this time of medical workers being heroes, there is some pressure to one up the others).   All in all, a horrible decision that was in very poor judgement.

I will not search for the report and I do not know the gender of the nurse, but I went along with "she" even though she might be a he. I don't like to contribute to the stereotype, but sometimes I do