Why did Cedar Point shut down Top Thrill Dragster?
A new video released by Cedar Point this week teases what's ahead for the amusement park's popular Top Thrill Dragster, three years after it was shut down after a park patron was severely injured by a piece of metal that fell from the ride.
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Cedar Point announces Top Thrill Dragster replacement: Top Thrill 2. DETROIT — It's back, sort of. Cedar Point on announced it is replacing its Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster with Top Thrill 2 next year. It also calls the new ride the world's TALLEST and FASTEST triple-launch strata coaster.
SANDUSKY, Ohio -- After more than a year of speculation, Cedar Point has made it official. Top Thrill Dragster, at least in its current form, is closing permanently.
The roller coaster is the second-tallest in the world, towering at 420 feet. On Tuesday, the park tweeted: After 19 seasons in operation with 18 million riders experiencing the world's first strata roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired.
“Rachel suffered permanent and life-altering injuries as a result of being struck in the head by a dislodged flag plate while simply standing in line,” said Attorney James Murray, who represents Rachel Hawes, her husband and her father.
Earlier this year, Cedar Point confirmed their reimagined Top Thrill Dragster would open for the 2024 season after announcing in September the current ride experience was being retired after 19 seasons.
Kingda Ka, billed as the world's tallest roller coaster, was closed on June 5 after operators reported a mechanical failure of a component of the launch system, Department of Community Affairs spokeswoman Tammori Petty-Dixon said in an email.
The lawsuit alleges that the metal plate that struck Hawes in the head came off because bolts holding it to the Top Thrill Dragster train had come loose due to improper inspection and maintenance of the ride. Hawes and her family are seeking damages in excess of $13 million.
Wicked Twister was removed after the 2021 season to make room for future development at Cedar Point. SANDUSKY, Ohio — Editor's note: Video in the player above features a front-seat ride from the Wicked Twister roller coaster, which has been demolished at Cedar Point.
A Michigan woman struck in the head by a metal bracket that fell off a roller coaster at an Ohio amusement park has sued the park and its parent company, alleging their negligence caused the accident that left her with traumatic brain injuries.
Metal from a Cedar Point roller coaster flew into Rachel Hawes' head. She's disabled for life, suit says. SANDUSKY, Ohio - A Michigan woman who was seriously injured when she was struck in the head by a metal bracket that flew off a roller coaster at an Ohio amusement park is suing the park for negligence.
Cedar Point closing Top Thrill Dragster ride after it caused a severe injury in 2021. AKRON, Ohio — It was once the tallest roller coaster in the world. And some 19 years and a troubled past later, Cedar Point is retiring the famed Top Thrill Dragster.