[lune14]

Rides Shut After Ky. Six Flags Accident
By BRETT BARROUQUERE, Associated Press Writer

3 hours ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Six Flags and Cedar Fair shut down eight more thrill rides around North America on Friday after a teenage girl's feet were sliced off during a ride in Kentucky.

State inspectors were at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom to examine the Superman Tower of Power, where the accident happened Thursday. The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 mph.

It was unclear at what point in the ride the 13-year-old was injured, said Wendy Goldberg, a Six Flags spokeswoman. The girl was taken to a hospital, where her condition was not immediately available Friday.

Six Flags shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Ill.; and near Washington as a safety precaution, Goldberg said. She said Six Flags Over Texas, near Dallas, also has a Superman Tower of Power, but it is not the same ride.

There had been no reports of injuries on the ride before Thursday, she said.

"Millions of people have safely ridden this ride in our parks," Goldberg said.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. also shut down drop tower rides at five of its amusement parks for inspection, company spokeswoman Stacy Frole said. Frole described it as a precautionary measure.

Intamin AG, a Swiss company, made all the rides but did not supply all the parts, said Sandor Kernacs, president of the company's American operations, Intamin Ltd. in Glen Burnie, Md.

Bill Clary, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides, said a cause hadn't been determined Friday afternoon.

The accident didn't appear to slow business Friday at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A stream of cars and foot traffic poured into the amusement park on a warm, breezy summer day.

The five Cedar Fair rides that were shut down are at Kings Island near Cincinnati; Canada's Wonderland, in Toronto; Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va.; Carowinds, in Charlotte, N.C.; and Great America in Santa Clara, Calif.

I cannot imagine how awful this experience is for this girl. I was a teen when I was injured and looking back I find this odd comfort in the fact I could not 'see' my injury. I gave up on amusement park rides years ago....yes chances like this are slim but I'd rather keep my parts!

[Texaswheelz]

chances are that I'll be hurt or killed in another car wreck before something like this happens. I was wondering what part of the ride it could happen on, as I've rode the Superman ride, but then I read the part of it being a different ride at the Dallas 6 flags and that is the one I've been on.

[KimAndSophie]

I was on a ride just like this one, but it had a different name. At first I couldn't figure out how this could happen, but they just said on the news that a cable had broken and that's what cut her feet off. It's horrible! I mean when you get on a ride and are having fun that's the last thing you would expect to happen. Especially with a ride like that! They also said on the news that the ride that is similar to that one here at Six Flags Over Georgia, and many others accross the US and Canada are shut down until it's investigated further.

[itsjustme]

I had some experience with that particular ride at the KY park. When I was still walking my boyfriend (at the time) and I were there and I survived the Terror to the Second Power roller coaster so next on his list was that Superman ride. However I do believe that it was called the Hellavator at the time.

There were some pretty tough looking bikers in front of us, leathers and all, and when they hit bottom and one of the the ladies got off of the ride, she was white as a ghost and let out an expletive making me sure that I wasn't nearly as tough as she was and she didn't appear to fare so well it looked to me like. So the gate opened to let us take our seats and after standing in line much to my boyfriend's surprise or dismay, I just walked right on past the ride right out the other side to the exit.

I actually had a malformation of blood vessels on my spine that I was unaware of at the time which is ultimately what paralyzed me and when I got off of that T to the SP roller coaster I felt really weird. Did it have anything to do with the circulation in my spine? I don't know but you know when people say that something told them not to get on that plane or some other "little voice" warning? Regardless of the biker lady, I had that little voice in the back of my head telling me not to ride the Hellavator. The biker lady was just the defining moment.

We take those rides for granted mechanically and even when it comes to our own physicallity. Hindsight..............