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Amusement parks close rides after girl loses feet

The accident occurs at Six Flags in Kentucky.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 23, 2007

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Six Flags and Cedar Fair shut down eight more thrill rides around North America on Friday after a teenage girl's feet were sliced off during a ride in Kentucky.

State inspectors were at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom to examine the Superman Tower of Power, where the accident happened Thursday. The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 mph.

It was unclear at what point in the ride the 13-year-old was injured, said Wendy Goldberg, a Six Flags spokeswoman. The girl was taken to a hospital, and her condition was not released.

The cause of the accident had not been determined.

Six Flags shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Ill.; and near Washington as a safety precaution, Goldberg said. She said Six Flags Over Texas, near Dallas, also has a Superman Tower of Power, but it is not the same ride.

There had been no reports of injuries on the ride before Thursday, she said.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. shut down drop tower rides at five of its amusement parks for inspection, company spokeswoman Stacy Frole said. Frole described it as a precautionary measure.

The five Cedar Fair rides that were shut down are at Kings Island near Cincinnati; Canada's Wonderland in Toronto; Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va.; Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C.; and Great America in Santa Clara, Calif.

Intamin AG, a Swiss company, made all the rides but did not supply all the parts, said Sandor Kernacs, president of the company's American operations, Intamin Ltd. in Glen Burnie, Md.

The accident didn't appear to slow business Friday at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A stream of traffic poured into the park.

[Last modified June 23, 2007, 00:12:00]