http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=1302697&nav=3w6oG8bY
Woman Dies In Roller Coaster Accident
Reporter: Rhanda Stewart
"We're deeply saddened and our deepest sympathies go to family, we're crushed. It's a rough day," Holiday World President Will Koch says.
Employees at Holiday World and Splashin' Safari are having a hard time coping with the situation. Many of them have been at the park since it happened Saturday night around 8 p.m.
Park owner Will Koch says the woman who died was strapped in by a safety belt and a lap bar when she took off on the Raven. "We had 20 passengers leave on the Raven and only 19 returned. The passenger who did not return was pronounced dead at hospital," Koch says.
He also says that the woman's fiancee was in the seat next to her. It was the last ride of the day, and they were in the back seat. They were both roller coaster enthusiasts. There for the Stark Raven Mad Coaster event.
Koch has spoken with the victim's fiance. "He's been very helpful,l we're trying our best to console him. There is no finger pointing, no blaming. We are all trying to get through this together," Koch says.
Police spent the day securing the area waiting for state inspectors to investigate the roller coaster. As of now they don't know exactly how the woman fell out of her seat. "We're still investigating that. We really don't know. We are waiting to get all the details to put them together to see how this occurred," Town Marshall Lee White says.
"She was found midway through the ride through the base we call the mid course drop," Koch says.
Many of the coaster enthusiasts in town for the event were staying at Santa's Lodge, and they all checked out Sunday morning. Sharon Alvey works at the lodge and says she's never seen such an upset group of people. "Those checking out expressed sadness not at Holiday World, just that it had to happen. It was just a sad event," Alvey says.
The park was closed Sunday out of sympathy for the family, and flags at half mast. Nothing like this has ever happened before at Holiday World. "That's why this is so tough, the feeling is so deeply. We're going to do what ever it takes to make sure we never have another one," Koch says.
Holiday World says that they have never had any problems with the Raven. They will reopen tomorrow at 10 a.m, but the Raven will be shut down until investigators find out what happened.
CoasterBoard
