Posted
According to Cleveland's Plain Dealer newspaper, a woman was released from Hillcrest hospital yesterday after suffering a skull fracture last Sunday caused by the impact of a loose object on Six Flags Ohio's Villain roller coaster. The object was apparently a wireless phone.
You can read the complete story on Cleveland Live.
Editorial
Jeff Putz, Webmaster, CoasterBuzz
I admit I have something against Six Flags Ohio, because except for the two minutes I'm actually on one of their coasters, something is irritating me, whether it be poor ride capacity, service or rude employees. But the old cliche "safety is no accident" is one that apparently the folks at Six Flags Ohio have never heard. The particular notion in the above story that, "riders do take backpacks, game prizes and other items on rides," is frustrating because there's certainly something they do about that. Signs do not release the park from liability to enforce policy.
Along with the accident in May involving a ride operator, I have personally seen enough reason for the state to fine the park heavily. On my last visit I watched the Wolf Bobs operator allow the train to sail right through the station on two consecutive loads because she was too busy talking to set the brake. If that wasn't bad enough, the operators allowed small children, literally dozens of them, 40 to 42 inches tall, ride the coaster. A friend of mine (who did indeed file a written complaint with the state's Division of Amusement Ride Safety) complained to a park operations manager who blew him off and said, "It won't happen again." However, it happened on my very next visit only on Big Dipper.
The industry is under terrible scrutiny lately, thanks to one stupid Congressman Ed Markey from Massachusetts. The fact is that last year's series of accidents were entirely the fault of the human element, not the rides themselves. Six Flags Ohio's human element is adding fuel to the fire by not taking safety seriously in any capacity. It could lead to more injuries or even death, and that would undoubtedly spell bad news in the form of federal regulation. The industry doesn't need it because of one bad apple.
Get it together, Six Flags Ohio!