Man killed at Cedar Point

[teller80]

SANDUSKY, Ohio -- A Cedar Point guest died after he was struck by the Raptor roller coaster around 5 p.m. Thursday.

Police said the man, identified as 45-year-old James A. Young, of East Canton, Ohio, jumped the fence to enter a restricted area near the roller coaster to look for a lost cell phone. His friends told police Young dropped the phone while on the ride earlier.

I remember this happening a few years ago at a different amusement park, but in that case the person was trying to get into the park and was struck by an inverted coaster.

I have to say part of me feels bad for his family, but the other part of me keeps wondering, WTH was he thinking? And the third part of me says, ok - when will a lawsuit be filed?

 

[Jon84]

Higher fences needed in some parks?

I've sympathy for the family as this sort of thing is completely avoidable, but, the stupidity on this guys part is outrageous.

 

[usnuzuloose]

SANDUSKY, Ohio -- A Cedar Point guest died after he was struck by the Raptor roller coaster around 5 p.m. Thursday.

Police said the man, identified as 45-year-old James A. Young, of East Canton, Ohio, jumped the fence to enter a restricted area near the roller coaster to look for a lost cell phone. His friends told police Young dropped the phone while on the ride earlier.

I remember this happening a few years ago at a different amusement park, but in that case the person was trying to get into the park and was struck by an inverted coaster.

I have to say part of me feels bad for his family, but the other part of me keeps wondering, WTH was he thinking? And the third part of me says, ok - when will a lawsuit be filed?

Certainly is not worth it over a cell phone. It also endangers the lives on the coaster as well.

 

[ericstac]

Can you imagine being the people in the car that hit the dude...

 

[basketlacey]

Really sad
I hope the news covers it pretty well so that more people understand that the warnings, fences, etc. really are there for your protection.

 

[fly girl]

Makes me terribly sad as this was completely avoidable. I wonder if his friends tried to talk him out of it. All for a phone. It's a restricted area for a reason, it is dangerous!


CP is really good at helping you get lost items. Dh lost his phone on Magnum years ago and they searched the track for him. Turns out it wound up in the loading area between the tracks. Beaten up a little, but still worked!

 

[PollyannaMom]

As soon as I heard the teaser on the news this morning, I knew it was going to be a cell phone.

Sometimes...I just don't get people.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

He was 45 and a school teacher, yet had no common sense. Very sad story, but also very preventable.

 

[Colleen27]

What surprised me was the man's age. When I heard the teaser for the story I figured it would be a "barely" adult teen or 20 something. I guess I figure by 45 you'd have the sense to ask an employee about the phone rather than go after it yourself.

 

[ericstac]

Makes me terribly sad as this was completely avoidable. I wonder if his friends tried to talk him out of it. All for a phone. It's a restricted area for a reason, it is dangerous!


CP is really good at helping you get lost items. Dh lost his phone on Magnum years ago and they searched the track for him. Turns out it wound up in the loading area between the tracks. Beaten up a little, but still worked!

Shoot for all we know they people he was with probably egged him on. He might of wanted to find someone but it took to long and so his family or friends said to just jump the fence to get it and he hesitated but did... Or he might of asked someone to look and they said he would have to wait until the ride closed or they did look and didn't find it or something. Who knows.

Hopefully he didn't have kids with him at the time. That would mess a kid up.

 

[mom2rtk]

Shoot for all we know they people he was with probably egged him on. He might of wanted to find someone but it took to long and so his family or friends said to just jump the fence to get it and he hesitated but did... Or he might of asked someone to look and they said he would have to wait until the ride closed or they did look and didn't find it or something. Who knows.

Hopefully he didn't have kids with him at the time. That would mess a kid up.

It's not like someone was going to steal it in there if it took a while to get an employee to help.

And "egging" him on? Surely by 45 one should have the sense to withstand peer pressure when their life is at stake. Warning bells should have been going off in his head telling him what a stupid thing he was doing.

I feel really bad for the people on the ride vehicle that struck him. They're going to be living with those bad memories for a while.

 

[Kellykins1218]

That tall chain link fence and signs saying "Restricted Area," " Danger," and "Keep Out" are just so confusing.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Why would you do that? Boggles my mind.

 

[fly girl]

Shoot for all we know they people he was with probably egged him on. He might of wanted to find someone but it took to long and so his family or friends said to just jump the fence to get it and he hesitated but did... Or he might of asked someone to look and they said he would have to wait until the ride closed or they did look and didn't find it or something. Who knows.

Hopefully he didn't have kids with him at the time. That would mess a kid up.

Pure speculation, but my guess was impatience.

When dh lost his phone, CP said when they did the routine afternoon check they'd scour the area for the phone. I remember him returning a few times several hours in between and they hadn't checked yet. We just kept periodically making our way over. I think he got the phone around 8pm. It was dropped probably around 2pm. Not a big deal. Dh was mad at himself about it, not CP. Afterall it's just a phone.

I'm just so sad for all involved and the witnesses. Just awful all around.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I'm guessing it was an expensive phone and he wasn't thinking clearly. I was with a friend recently and she dropped her iPhone and it shattered the screen and its all she talked about for a week. Her family is low income so she cant afford to replace it ( honestly, her family is on welfare, so she really couldn't afford the phone in the first place), and I could see her obsessing and risking injury to save her precious toy. Some people really are addicted to their status symbol phone.


Out of curiosity, does Cedar Point sell alcohol and could it have played a factor?

 

[ericstac]

I'm guessing it was an expensive phone and he wasn't thinking clearly. I was with a friend recently and she dropped her iPhone and it shattered the screen and its all she talked about for a week. Her family is low income so she cant afford to replace it ( honestly, her family is on welfare, so she really couldn't afford the phone in the first place), and I could see her obsessing and risking injury to save her precious toy. Some people really are addicted to their status symbol phone.


Out of curiosity, does Cedar Point sell alcohol and could it have played a factor?

Yeah some people fean for Facebook like its crack and don't think clearly when they don't have their phone to check their newsfeed.

 

[fly girl]

Out of curiosity, does Cedar Point sell alcohol and could it have played a factor?

They do. And that could've played a part.

 

[sara1215]

Can you imagine being the people in the car that hit the dude...

The raptor doesn't really have cars. The riders are seated but their legs are free hanging in the air. Makes me wonder if this poor guy was actually struck by a rider's feet. Although at the speed of the coaster, if that is what happened, I would imagine the rider would have been seriously injured too.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

The raptor doesn't really have cars. The riders are seated but their legs are free hanging in the air. Makes me wonder if this poor guy was actually struck by a rider's feet. Although at the speed of the coaster, if that is what happened, I would imagine the rider would have been seriously injured too.

That is exactly what happened at Carrowinds years back when the kid was killed going after his hat he lost on the coaster. The girl who ended up hitting him had to have multiple surgeries as her lower legs were pretty much shattered by the impact.

 

[Rhombus]

He was 45 and a school teacher, yet had no common sense. Very sad story, but also very preventable.

A 45 year old school teacher whose precious cell phone was more important to him than whatever family he may have.

That is exactly what happened at Carrowinds years back when the kid was killed going after his hat he lost on the coaster. The girl who ended up hitting him had to have multiple surgeries as her lower legs were pretty much shattered by the impact.

I'm pretty sure that incident was at Six Flags Over Georgia. The girl's legs hit the dude, but that's not what killed him. The thick iron bar under and behind the seats struck and decapitated him. But whatever, this is the 4th or 5th similar incident in the past 5 or 6 years. It's happened in European parks as well.



Yes, Cedar Point sells alcohol. No one yet knows if it was a factor.

A lawsuit being filed? I can almost guarantee it. It really has no merit, but Cedar Point will pay out a small amount to get rid of the nuisance claim.

Can you imagine being the people in the car that hit the dude...

Perhaps Cedar Point and these riders should file a preemptive lawsuit against this Darwin winner's estate.