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Andy Hine MBE · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject: Cedar Point Wildcat Update

Cedar Point's Wildcat has been closed for a week while park officials investigate a ride mishap that left nine people with minor injuries.
Maintenance staff have not determined a cause for the May 16 accident that sent a roller coaster car rolling backwards, hitting another car which in turn hit a third car, said park spokesman Robin Innes.
''We're still conducting our review of the incident,'' Innes said. ''The ride is closed now and will remain closed until we finish that and make any modifications that are required.''

The accident happened when one of the four-passenger cars was being pulled to the top of the 50-foot lift hill. The car stopped on the hill and rolled back into the loading station, where it caused the sequence of bumping cars, Innes said.

An inspector from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which licenses amusement park rides, traced the cause to an 8-inch stretch of track near the crest of the hill, where the lift chain releases the car and gravity draws it downward, said Cindy Brown, communications director for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

''In that 8-inch section, gravity did not take over and the car then moved backward,'' Brown said. ''The conditions were not right in that moment for the car to do what it needed to do.''

Nine guests were taken to Cedar Point's first aid station for examination and treatment of bruises and sprains, Innes said. One was then taken to Firelands Regional Medical Center for examination and later released, he said, noting no one was hospitalized in the incident.

The Wildcat passed its annual inspection by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Innes said. ''It was certified, otherwise we couldn't have opened it,'' he said.

Cedar Point also has daily maintenance inspections on roller coasters, Innes said.

The ride was closed immediately and will not have riders until it is safe to do so, Innes said.

The repair will involve removing the section of track being faulted, Brown said.

The Wildcat has passed every state inspection dating back to April 2005, Brown said. The incident did not meet the state criteria for an amusement ride accident, in which passengers are hurt and hospitalized due to a ride, she said.

''Cedar Point has an excellent safety record,'' Brown said. ''They are very good and we work collaboratively with Cedar Point.''

The park reports any incidents, even if not required to by state law, and has requested state inspections on rides in the past.

''Obviously, safety is at the forefront of everyone's minds when it comes to these amusement rides,'' Brown said.

The Wildcat was built in 1979 to replace the earlier Wildcat, which was first introduced in 1970, Innes said.

It carried more than 400,000 passengers last year; since its start, the two Wildcat coasters have given more than 25 million rides.

''It's a very popular ride,'' Innes said. ''We have an excellent safety program. It's very important for us to determine the cause and make those changes. Guest and employee safety is the number one priority at Cedar Point.''
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smiler · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject:

Fingers crossed it will be open in time im sure they will tho Very Happy

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Magic · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 9:58 pm Post subject:

Sounds to me like one of those freak 1 in 25million chance incidents which no one would expect to happen. Hope it opens in time for everyone, top tip if you do get to ride is brace yourself for the brakes at the end, they're a tad fierce.
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