A 3-year-old boy fell from the Rollo Coaster at the Idlewild & Soak Zone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania in what is the fourth amusement park tragedy in less than a week. The little boy was riding with his 7-year-old brother when he fell. The accident comes in the wake of three similar accidents where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated while riding the world’s largest waterslide, a pair of riders were injured after a cable detached from another roller coaster, and a 6-year-old suffered brain damage after falling from a Ferris wheel.
The 78-year-old Rollo Coaster has no seat belts and takes passengers on a ride through the wooded hillside. The boy struck his head after falling a distance of approximately 10 feet when the car passed through a turn. He was conscious and spoke with first responders before being evacuated by helicopter to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
According to CNN, the roller coaster had been inspected less than a week earlier on August 6th. The ride has since been closed until further notice for a formal investigation.