Woman injured by Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster part sues Cedar Fair

What I haven't seen asked recently is why Kingda Ka (at SixFlags) is still running normally with no public plans to modify, and why Xcellerator (at Cedar Fair) has been closed for a very long time, also with nothing announced.

I don't know of any other Intamin hydraulic launch coasters that are shut down. Only the one remaining Cedar Fair ride.

Maybe the Six Flags park is taking precautions in ways that are unseen by guests, like perhaps they are checking for loose parts and tightening them up? Anyone who owns this kind of coaster knows about the problem now. Different businesses have different solutions for similar problems. Maybe Intamin sent out a fix, but Cedar Fair is taking extra precautions by keeping Excelerator closed? That's just my logical guess.

Cedar Fair might just be done with hydraulic launches. There is a limit as to how many times a ride can fail between shredding cables, snapping cables, lacerating guests, throwing off parts, etc. before you just throw in the towel.

There are reports of cable being delivered to the Xcellerator site but not much may be done as they are in full Haunt setup mode, and there are a couple of attractions that they build around the ride. I don't recall them running it during Haunt.

In fairness, this TTD issue is unrelated to the hydraulic launch, but I get what you're saying.

Xcelerator was waiting for parts. As of last month they were hoping to have it open later this summer.
Source

I haven’t been to Great Adventure in many years, but if memory still serves correctly, Kingda Ka’s queue is much more well protected. That may be why they’re still okay with it running as is. Also, it could simply be a case of Six Flags saying, “hey, this wasn’t a ride malfunction or patron error of judgment, so why would we change anything?” I may be in the minority, but I don’t think TTD even needed this “reimagining”. Yes, the ride itself wasn’t super reliable, but it was still a huge draw, and it was still working. It’s still going to have huge speeds and lots of working parts that could be problematic if one looks at it a certain way. The new ride looks kind of fun in a different way, but it’s kind of pointless too. If they were trying to get people to forget about the accident, adding a second gigantic spike and more back and forths by the queue isn’t how I’d go about it for sure.

The queue, which will now be covered, is going to have the same single "forth" that it always did on the return side.

It was either 1) reimagine, or 2) demolish.

I'm happy they picked option 1.

Brian Noble:

Cedar Fair might just be done with hydraulic launches. There is a limit as to how many times a ride can fail between shredding cables, snapping cables, lacerating guests, throwing off parts, etc. before you just throw in the towel.

Was Cedar Fair the only chain to have higher profile incidents with the Hydraulic launch coasters? I don't hear much about Storm Runner or any of the overseas hydraulic coasters having the problems Dragster and Xcelerator have had. I also haven't seen or heard about any major incidents with Kingda Ka. Have I been living under a rock and missing the problems with the other coasters or perhaps they have had more problems then the others because they were the first two?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/.../Kingda_Ka

Scroll down to “incidents”. It’s had a few really big “oopsies”.

Kingda Ka Incidents

The "sparks and shards of metal" incident happened during testing, so no one was injured, but it probably would've been pretty bad with people on board, similar to the Xcelerator incident.

Looks like exactly one ride related failure in 20 years??? Not exactly a few big oopsies, more like weather doing its thing and one badly placed feathered creature.

Not going to comment on a what appears to be questionable lawsuit, rides do tend to expose people to extreme speed and torquing forces.

Xcelerator

• 2009 - Cable snap, child with severe laceration, another rider with neck and back pain, riders showered with metal fragments

Kingda Ka

• 2005 - Cable trough failed, damaging cable and brakes, sending metal shards flying
• 2023 - Cable snap, no stated injuries

Dragster

• 2003 - Full-sized, full-weight decorative tire falls from train, thankfully occurred after hours (if my memory is correct) so no one on the ground was injured
• 2004 - Cable snap, guests showered with metal fragments
• 2016 - Cable snap, guests with minor injuries
• 2021 - Flag plate detaches from train, seriously injures woman in queue

I think these rides do have some big oopsies, sir

Don't forget this one from 2017 for Dragster. The caption was wrong and they did get the ride open for the last weekend or two of the season though.

https://twitter.com/i/web/s...3068886016

The cable is moving very fast, under high tension, and the tension is between the motor and the train full of passengers. A cable snapping at 60-70-100 mph and under associated tension is really different than, say, MF's cable snapping at less than 15mph.

KK’s queue was originally in the infield of the ride. (I know because I waited in there for four hours once). I think after the first incident, it was quickly moved into a trashy backstage area and crossed a main thoroughfare, leading to all kinds of dumbness. I assume now it’s actually in a real queue configuration? I haven’t been back since ‘08 or so.

The Dragster cable was also changed out at least once during each season. I recall at one of the Winter Chill Out events, maintenance workers talked about how they had gotten so good at changing it that they could start at park closing and have the ride open a few hours late the next day.

Brian Noble:

A cable snapping at 60-70-100 mph and under associated tension is really different

Just to walk down memory lane together, The Xcelerator cable literally slashed through the entire front of the front car.

The boy had permanent damage done to one of his lower legs, and I would say both father and son are lucky to be alive.

Oopsie.

I don't think the boy suffered serious injury. I've seen the video a million times, and while he was understandably freaked out, I don't recall hearing that he was hurt. His seat, however, somehow partially separated and moved, and that's disturbing.

I stand partially corrected; he apparently recovered but not without multiple surgeries and therapy. I mean, it's not on the horrific level of the Dragster incident, but not just a bruise, either.

https://www.latimes.com/loc...story.html

Over the ensuing months, Kyle underwent multiple surgeries to repair muscle damage to his leg and graft skin over his injuries. The operations were followed by physical therapy to restore function to his left knee and ankle.

And while Kyle has fully recovered from the accident, according to Art Morgan, the family’s lawyer, the boy will need a $30,000 operation later in life to remove scar tissue. The family has accumulated more than $60,000 in medical bills so far, Morgan said.