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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She was rendered "permanently disabled," no longer able to reach potential earning capacity ? more than $1.2 million, according to the suit. Her medical costs soared to more than $2 million.
In August 2023, the speculation was confirmed after Cedar Point announced plans to transform Top Thrill Dragster into a triple-launched roller coaster using linear synchronous motors. The modified coaster is scheduled to reopen in 2024 as Top Thrill 2.
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.
“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.
The decision by Cedar Point comes a year after a small metal object flew off the 420-foot (128-meter) tall Top Thrill Dragster coaster and struck a woman in the head at the park in Sandusky. A state investigation found no evidence that the park acted illegally or had reason to believe the ride was unsafe.
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.
Cedar Point announced Tuesday morning that they will be bringing back the Top Thrill Dragster in a redesigned way. The Top Thrill 2 will be the world's tallest and fastest triple-launch strata roller coaster, according to a news release from Cedar Point. The ride will have two 420-foot-tall track towers.
At the time of its closure, Top Thrill Dragster had accommodated 18 million riders over 19 seasons. A portion of the roller coaster's track near the station was dismantled in late 2022. In January 2023, the park released the tagline A New Formula For Thrills on social media to describe the planned modifications.
SANDUSKY, Ohio — Sandusky-based Cedar Fair, the parent company of Cedar Point and 10 other amusement parks, has rejected a $4 billion offer from Six Flags, according to Reuters. The news comes two days after Reuters reported that Six Flags was pursuing a purchase of amusement-park rival Cedar Fair.
It opened in 1870 and is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the US behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point, which is owned and operated by Cedar Fair, is the flagship of the company's amusement park chain.
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.