Cedar Point's legacy of roller coaster innovation continues with a one-of-a-kind addition to the park's world-renowned ride lineup, coming in 2024. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts . The womans current condition is not known. Disneyland To Welcome Back The Original E.P. Photo: Tyler Buchanan/Axios I was hopeful it was going to reopen this season. The ride ran another time before park guests could flag down staff at the front of the line to stop the ride, Leppo said, as some people started to scream and run to get out of line. 6 trains, with 5 cars. It seems as if the launch cable and retractable brake-fins on the launch track are being removed which isn't going to be a surprise to most now we know that the coaster is being reimagined, likely with a magnetic launch system. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. [19], On August 7, 2016, two people were treated for minor injuries when the launch cable detached from the ride. The video shows the removal of parts of the track around the loading station. It lost both records to Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in May 2005. Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster Media Story", "Cedar Point To Build Major New Thrill Ride For 2003 Season", "Top Thrill Dragster: Race for the Sky | Cedar Point", "Cedar Point makes good on its bet with 'Top Thrill Cubster' in honor of Chicago Cubs' World Series win over Indians (Video)", "Cedar Point opening day preview: Face masks, social distancing, HalloWeekends and more", "Cedar Point says Top Thrill Dragster, involved in serious accident, will remain closed for 2021", "ODA provides update on Top Thrill Dragster incident", "No laws broken in Cedar Point Top Thrill Dragster mishap that severely injured woman", "Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster, involved in August accident, will remain closed in 2022", "One of Cedar Point's most popular rides will be shut down for the 2022 season", "Cedar Point to retire Top Thrill Dragster", "Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point being retired, officials say", "Cedar Point permanently closing Top Thrill Dragster, world's second-tallest roller coaster", "Cedar Point's newest coaster starting to take shape along the Lake Erie shoreline", "Record Holders (Statistic: Height, Type: Steel)", "Record Holders (Statistic: Speed, Type: Steel)", "Record Holders (Statistic: Drop, Type: Steel)", "Hydraulic launched roller coasters at RCDB", "Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster still closed, undergoing maintenance", "Top Thrill Dragster closed for 2022 season", "Cedar Point is shutting down Top Thrill Dragster for good", "Top Thrill Dragster to be retired from Cedar Point", Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Top_Thrill_Dragster&oldid=1142142857, Articles with dead YouTube links from February 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Those upgrades were made and the ride was ruled compliant on May 15. The park has already announced it will not reopen this year. Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. At some point in its descent, Miran said, the bracket came in contact with the coaster's track and ripped off from the "green" coaster train and struck the woman in the head while she was waiting in line. "We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time. "We arent kidding when we say that this high-octane sprint to the checkered flag knows a thing or twenty about horsepower.". Dragster Accident At Cedar Point: 1 Woman Injured After Being Hit By Metal Object: Report . Kingda Ka opened two years later at Six Flags Great Adventure and broke both of Top Thrill Dragster's records, boasting a height of 456 feet (139m) and a top speed of 128 miles per hour (206km/h). Tony Clark, a Cedar Point spokesperson didnt respond to another request for an update on the investigation into the ride Tuesday. Rides & Experiences. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Boy, 8, hospitalized after getting hung from neck by rope ladder at PA amusement park, Girl clings from amusement park ride before dropping to the ground, injuring leg, Florida fairgoers get stuck upside-down on ride in terrifying mishap, Bob Iger jumping on Avatar boom with new ride at Disneyland. Click link to read full story. January 10 - Since September 2022 when it was confirmed that this legendary coaster would indeed be reimagined, all eyes have been on Cedar Point and the construction progress of the iconic Top Thrill Dragster. (Editor's note: A version of this story briefly stated the incorrect size of the object in this incident. [6] Track pieces identified as Intamin were previously spotted near Mean Streak. Top Thrill Dragster Accident 2021 - Cedar Point Accident Today. Reports indicated that a metal cable frayed during launch, shearing off shards of metal that struck the riders. Claim your SPECIAL OFFER for MagellanTV here: https://try.magellantv.com/darkhistory. There have been recent rumors that Cedar Point could increase the theming of both the rollercoaster itself and the surrounding area. It is thought that the old track will be re-used with new LSM launches being put on and retro fitted. Miran said the steel track itself shows signs of damage where the bracket made contact as the coaster train made its way down the hill. piece of metal that struck a Cedar Point amusement parkguest, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The launch track was equipped with retractable magnetic braking fins, which were raised after each launch to slow the train down in case it did not reach the top of the tower. All rights reserved. The accident has left 44-year-old Rachel Hawes of Michigan in intensive care with a brain . Theme Park Predictions & More! Park staff appear in the video to administer first aid as Sandusky police officers and firefighters arrive with a gurney to transport her to the hospital. Witnesses called 911 from Cedar Point amusement park after officials said a. In February, state investigators determined the amusement park in Sandusky was not responsible for what was determined to be an accident. Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2002, but it was dismissed in 2006. . Top Thrill is well known among coaster fans for being temperamental and maintenance-heavy, with long periods out of commission. Although Intamin has not worked with Cedar Fair since 2010 due to a number of issues with its installed rides at the parks, it would seem sensible with all the developments in reliability that Intamin has made in the last decade that Cedar Point would want their input for this extensive project because surely who best to do the job but the original creators of the attraction. Top Thrill Dragster is a hydraulically-launched steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States.Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it opened in 2003 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 400 feet (120 m) in height. The inspection did, however, find some issues that needed to be upgraded to bring the ride into compliance. Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, Alex Murdaugh looks unrecognizable in new mugshot hours after sentencing, 'Glaring error' left 'habitual liar' Alex Murdaugh 'boxed in' during trial, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, The Top Thrill Dragster has been permanently closed, A woman waiting in line was hit on the head by a metal bracket. The ride is inspected regularly -- by Cedar Point staff, the parks insurance company and the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees ride safety in the state. "We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time. Target of 130-135mph could maybe be feasible. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. THE world's second tallest rollercoaster has been closed forever after a woman waiting in line was hit on the head by a metal bracket. [23] Cedar Point announced that the coaster would be closed for the remainder of the season. (Editor's note: A version of this story briefly stated the incorrect size of the object in this incident.) After all that, they say they found no evidence to indicate that Cedar Point knew the Top Thrill Dragster ride was unsafe or could cause a hazard to the public. Top Thrill Dragster. Shortly after reaching its maximum velocity, the catch car disengaged, and the train began its ascent up a 90-degree incline, twisting 90 degrees clockwise before climbing over the 420-foot (130m) top hat. If this was possible and the height could be increased above 418ft then Top Thrill Dragster would take back the record from Kingda Ka of being the tallest stratocoaster in North America. 2021, 12:15 AM. The original metal fences have gone from the queue line so it highly likely they are moving the queue which has been assumed from the start. Well this led to theme park fans speculating as to what Cedar Point has got planned. (Special to WOIO) By Stephanie Czekalinski Published: Aug. 15, 2021 at 5:02 PM PDT SANDUSKY, Ohio (WOIO) - A female guest was injured while waiting in line at Cedar Point Sunday after a small. I mean I seen, like, a picture of what that metal was and that was a pretty thick piece of metal to just snap off like that., They sent us a statement that reads in part, Cedar Point has cooperated fully with ODA throughout its investigation into the incident and we will closely review the substance of ODAs report.. This is my version of Top Thrill Dragster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio. It happened around 4:30 p.m. Sunday as the woman was standing in line for the Top Thrill Dragster, when the piece came loose from a train on the coaster as it was ending its run, Cedar Point. People who live in Sandusky still cant believe it happened. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [36], On very rare occasions, a combination of the weight distribution of the train, the force of the launch, and the wind could stall a train on top of the tower. It honestly looked like a giant Jenga block, Leppo said. [6] Vertical construction by Martin & Vleminckx[7] began in the fall season, months before the formal announcement. It was his first time visiting the park. Intamin, however, could still be the ones to convert Top Thrill Dragster but they have now removed the ride from their website which could give clue that they are distancing themselves from the attraction. #TopThrillDragtser's station has been just about completely emptied at #cedarpoint. SANDUSKY, Ohio (WTVG) - Sandusky Police bodycam video from Cedar Point shows some of the chaotic moments after a woman was hit by a metal object that flew off the roller coaster she was in line to ride. Top Thrill Dragster also broke the height record, standing at 420 feet (130m), which was previously held by Superman: Escape from Krypton at 415 feet (126m). The ride was last inspected by the state in May. "Due to the changes in ride inspections. The Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster at Cedar Point. None of the injuries were life threatening. Rachel is fighting for her life, and we would ask for privacy in this difficult time.". Those changesincluded hydraulic upgrades, a hydraulic propulsion system upgrade and repairs to black cherry car No. The accident has left 44-year-old Rachel Hawes of Michigan in intensive care with a brain injury, according to a family statementreleased to a Cleveland TV station. To the left of the launch area was a "Christmas tree" light, similar to those employed at the starting line of a drag strip. Those changesincluded hydraulic upgrades, a hydraulic propulsion system upgrade and repairs to black cherry car No. But the ride has remained closed since the August 15, 2021 accident. Facebook. This is where the Formula One aspect could potentially come in. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it opened in 2003 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first full-circuit roller coaster to exceed 400 feet (120m) in height.