Bystanders Speak Out About Ohio Roller Coaster Incident That Hospitalized 1

Days later, witnesses are recalling the “commotion” that followed after a piece of debris fell from the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point and hit a woman standing in line for the ride.

As of publication time Tuesday morning (August 17), the unidentified woman’s condition remains unknown.

John Mc Dermott, 27, saw the incident happen and recalled what “looked like a metal disc flying through the air” in an interview with cleveland.com. Mc Dermott, a season pass holder from Lima, said he was about 15 to 20 feet from the woman in the line to board the roller coaster. Mc Dermott described to cleveland.com: “I saw the thing hit the crowd, the lady fell, I heard it bounce off the concrete. It was something metal. It wasn’t a small object. It was pretty big – bigger than the palm of my hand. It looked like a metal disc flying through the air.”

Cedar Point could not immediately provide an update on Monday (August 16). Spokesman Tony Clark said in a statement on Sunday (August 15):

“At approximately 4:30 this afternoon, a small metal object became disengaged from a train on the Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster as it was ending its run. The object came into contact with a female guest waiting in line for the ride. The park’s EMS team and Sandusky Fire Department responded immediately, and the guest was transported to the hospital for medical care. At this time, our focus is on the guest and her family.”

Until EMS crews arrived, some bystanders provided aid to the woman. David Vallo identified himself as a registered ER nurse when speaking with 3News. He described “a lot of commotion” when the incident happened. As the crowd ran screaming, Vallo ran toward the injured victim.

“I know myself and everyone else just wanted to make sure she was as okay as humanly possible," Vallo told 3News on Monday. “We tried our best, we did our best.”

cleveland.com notes that state law requires roller coasters to be inspected twice a year, and the Dragster passed its most recent inspection in May. Its next inspection was slated for September.