List of deadly roller coaster accidents

The table below is an incomplete list of roller coaster accidents which resulted in one or more fatality.

Mechanical failure

Roller Coaster Amusement Park No. killed No. injured Date Description Ref.
Big Dipper Battersea Fun Fair 5 13 May 30, 1972 The coaster's cable lift snapped while the train was on the lift hill, causing it to roll back and derailed. Ride closed after that, and was demolished in 1972/1973. [1]
Big Dipper Krug Park 4 20 July 7, 1930 A loose bolt in the brake shoe got caught in the train's rear wheel, causing a chain reaction that led to all 4 cars derailing off the track. 4 people died, with other 20 people injured. [2]
Mindbender Galaxyland 3 1 June 14, 1986 A design flaw on the fourth car assembly caused the wheel to detach from the track, and the train itself. This in turn, caused the car's lap bar to become unlocked, throwing out all 4 passengers on the train to the concrete floor below. The train continued to move along the track and into the final loop, but friction from the car's derailment slowed the train and prevented it from clearing the loop. As it rolled backward down the loop, the detached car crashed into a concrete pillar about midway down, stopping the train abruptly. Three of the four passengers thrown from the ride died, while the fourth was left critically injured with permanent, life-altering effects. [3]
Quimera La Feria Chapultepec Magico 2 2 September 28, 2019 A car derailed and fell from the ride, killing two people and injuring two others. [4]
Wild Wonder Gillian's Wonderland Pier 2 2 August 28, 1999 The Zamperla approved anti rollback dogs was replaced with an unapproved locally made one. On that fateful day, A mother and her child was boarded the car, and as it was about to reach the top of the lift hill, the dogs lost contact with the lift hill and rolled back into the station, hurling them off the ride, both died instantly by impacts. [5]
Fujin Raijin II Expoland 1 19 May 5, 2007 A broken axle caused the second car of the train to derail, killing the woman who was on that car. It also caused the train to violently stop, injuring 19 other riders. [6]
Jetline Gröna Lund 1 9 June 25, 2023 A train partially derailed and three people fell from the ride. One person was killed and another nine injured. [7]
Loop the Loop White City 1 3 May 30, 1906 A car jumped the wooden track due to poor maintenance on the track. 1 man was killed, with other 3 injuried. [8]
Cobra Tivoli Friheden 1 1 July 14, 2022 The seats of the final car became partially detached from the wheels.
Matterhorn Bobsleds Disneyland Park 1 0 January 3, 1984 A women fell from the ride and was hit by another car. [9]
Treetop Twister Lightwater Valley 1 0 June 20, 2001 A faulty wiring in the ride control caused the block to be ignored, which in turn caused two cars to collide with each other [10]


Fatal falls

Roller Coaster Amusement Park Person Date Description Ref.
Rolling Thunder Six Flags Great Adventure Employee August 16, 1981 During a test run, failed to secure his lap bar and assume a good riding position
Black Witch Magic Harbor Park guest April 3, 1983 Restraint failure
Rail Blazer Six Flags St. Louis Park guest July 7, 1984 Fainted during the ride causing her to fall from the stand-up restraint
Comet Lincoln Park Employee August 17, 1986 Possibly standing up
Lightin' Loops Six Flags Great Adventure Park guest June 17, 1987 Restraint not closed properly [11]
Mini Dragon Funland Park Park guest September 11, 1999 [12]
Spinning Coaster Maihim Tokyo Dome City Park guest January 30, 2011 [13]
Superman Ride of Steel Darien Lake Park guest July 8, 2011 War veteran who had lost both his legs. [14]
New Texas Giant Six Flags Over Texas Park guest July 20, 2013 [15]
Inferno Terra Mítica Park guest July 7, 2014 [16]
Formule 1 Parc Saint Paul Park guest July 4, 2020 [17]

Struck by the train

Roller Coaster Amusement Park Person Date Description Ref.
Excalibur Six Flags AstroWorld Employee August 9, 1997 While working on a section of track, a train hit the employee. A signal had been sent to the ride operator stating that the track was clear.
Batman The Ride Six Flags Over Georgia Employee May 26, 2002
Batman The Ride Six Flags Over Georgia Park guest June 28, 2008 Decapitated by the passing train while either retrieving a lost hat or taking a shortcut to lunch [18]
Vampire La Ronde Employee July 6, 2012 Entered a restricted area for unknown reasons. [19]
Raptor Cedar Point Park guest August 13, 2015 Entered a restricted area.

Other

Name Amusement park No. killed No. injured Date Description Ref.
Fire In The Hole Silver Dollar City 1 Unknown July 1980 An operator switched a train to the service area, unaware it contained riders. The entrance to the service area had a low roof. All passengers escaped serious injury except one man who did not hear shouts to duck. [20]
Raging Bull Six Flags Great America 1 0 May 3, 2003 A 11 years old girl died from heart condition after riding Raging Bull. She had a known heart condition, and has been seeing a cardiologist for treatment. [21]
Virginia Reel Palisades Park 6 125 August 13, 1944 A fire started in Virginia Reel at Palisades Park, which destroyed half the park's rides. All the fatalities were children that were riding the Virginia Reel coaster, 125 people were injured in the massive blaze. [22]
Loch Ness Monster Busch Gardens Williamsburg 0 1 October 29, 2021 A park employee found blood on the last car. Unidentified reasons. Probably a nosebleed.

References

  1. The Coasters - Lost UK Coasters - Tricky imp Events
  2. Krug Park - Ohama Public Library
  3. 6/14/1986 - 21 Years Ago Today, Mindbender Tragedy Edmonton - Ultimate Rollercoaster
  4. "Quimera roller coaster at La Feria amusement park car jumps rails, 2 killed". CBS News (in English). 2019-09-28. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  5. Roller Coaster Hurtles Wrong Way, Killing 2 - The New York Times
  6. Woman killed, 19 riders hurt in Osaka roller coaster accident - The Japan Times
  7. Bengtsson, Anna; Alveflo, Mathilda; Bergström, Ebba (2023-06-25). "En person död efter olyckan – Gröna Lund stänger ner". Göteborgs-Posten (in svenska). Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  8. https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/278757360_4942219632533967_6476692427041196494_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=oR-kFFVaH5sAX9Zlm-i&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&oh=00_AT-hEeqvfvHQV_sJ5U_pQghiM53aYktD_sU5myHgRaxfVA&oe=6267028A
  9. "Woman falls, dies on Disney ride". Record Searchlight. 1984-01-04. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  10. Rollercoaster crash girl dies - The Northern Echo
  11. Rider on Roller Coaster Dies In a Fall at Great Adventure - New York Times
  12. Jury out in fairground death trial - BBC News
  13. Man fall to his death at Tokyo Dome park - COASTER-net
  14. Army amputee ejected from roller coaster, dies - NBC News
  15. Second coaster closed in Texas amid probe; details emerge on earlier death - CNN
  16. 'British' teenager killed after being thrown from roller-coaster called Hell at Benidorm theme park - Mirror
  17. "Woman dies after falling off rollercoaster in France". The Independent (in English). 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  18. Teen Decapitated In Six Flags Accident - CBS News
  19. Maintenance worker killed after being hit by ride at Montreal amusement park - National Post
  20. Roller coaster rider is killed - The Free Lance-Star
  21. Gary girl dies after ride on coaster - The Chicago Tribune
  22. http://patersonfirejournal.blogspot.com/2015/07/palisades-park.html[1]

See also