Credit: Melbourne Royal ShowA roller coaster is set to reopen a year after an accident left a woman with brain damage.
Like any theme park attraction, safety is the first priority when designing, manufacturing, and operating a roller coaster. While their entire purpose is to give riders a thrill, this thrill must be delivered in a way that doesn’t endanger guests.
But things don’t always go to plan. A roller coaster accident is extremely rare, but it does happen. Take this year’s incident at Grona Lund in Sweden, where the park’s Jetline roller coaster derailed and threw guests from their vehicle – killing one rider in the process.
In the past, we’ve seen fatal roller coaster accidents occur at Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Over Texas, and Oakwood Theme Park. There have also been a long line of non-fatal, but still incredibly tragic, accidents at popular theme parks.
An accident on The Smiler roller coaster at Alton Towers in 2015 left eleven riders injured – five of which were seriously injured – when two cars collided on the tracks. Two of these guests were later forced to have partial leg amputations.
Last year, another incident occurred at Melbourne Royal Show. On September 25, 2022, a carriage of the Rebel Coaster roller coaster collided with employee Shylah Rodden while traveling at 70km/h.
The 26-year-old was subsequently thrown nine meters into the air. The accident left her with severe brain damage and injuries to her head, pelvis, arms, leg, and back. She currently faces years of rehabilitation.
Rodden had walked onto the Rebel Coaster track to retrieve her phone, which she had dropped while riding the roller coaster during her break.
While investigations into the incident are still ongoing, Melbourne Royal Show has confirmed that Rebel Coaster will return in 2023. The “speedy, action-packed ride” will charge guests at the agricultural show $15 per ride. It previously reopened just days after Rodden was struck by the coaster.
Perth Now claims that a team of engineers will inspect each ride at Melbourne Royal Show before it opens for operation. A Melbourne Royal Show spokesperson also told the Daily Mail that the show has installed additional security cameras across the carnival site.
“We once again extend our sympathy to Shylah and her family following the incident at the 2022 show,” the spokesperson said. “We also extend our thoughts to the bystanders who witnessed the incident.”
Do you think carnivals do enough to keep guests safe? Let us know in the comments.