TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A woman died while riding a roller coaster at a Six Flags Over amusement park in Arlington North Texas. The incident happened at 6.30 pm local time. It is billed as the tallest coaster in the world.
Park spokeswoman Sharon Parker confirmed that a woman died while riding the coaster but did not specify how she was killed. She also told the Associated Press that she have provided all the details to the police.
In the meantime, Six Flags Over said it was temporarily closing the section of the park around the accident site and did not say how long the area would be closed. They also expressed sadness over the death.
The coaster reaches 14 stories high and has a drop of 79 degrees. It can carry up to 24 riders.
In the past few years, a number of experts have debated whether or not this ride is harmful for health. In an article published in Neurology journal, a Japanese neurologist Toshio Fukutake recorded a case of a 24 Japanese woman who had a severe headache after riding a high speed roller coaster.
"Riding a giant roller coaster can lead to a chronic hematoma subdural, even to women who were previously healthy," he said. Hematoma subdural is a sudden thrombosis.
Toshio has urged theme park regulators to reduce the speed and acceleration of roller coasters.
AP | TRIP B