See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
A 60-year-old Texas woman is in hospital receiving treatment after suffering severe injuries during a rollercoaster mishap in Colorado last month.
According to local media, Nicki Parker was riding the Rocky Mountain Coaster at the Copper Mountain ski resort, about 120 kilometres west of Denver, on Aug. 17 when her legal representative said she was ejected from the single-seat cart with the seatbelt still on.
“It was actually wrapped around her and pulled her and she was dragged along the track as it went down,” lawyer Trent Ongert told Fox affiliate KDVR .
He estimated that Parker was dragged between 20 and 30 seconds before the cart stopped.
Husband witnessed incident
Parker’s husband Tim was with her at the ride and witnessed the incident, her lawyer said.
“She was lying on the track,” Ongert continued. “He then had to get her out because there was nobody, no way to get to her. They’re about 15 to 20 feet off the ground.”
Her husband allegedly had to climb on safety netting along the side of the track to reach her and pull her into the cart.
According to her lawyer, Parker suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken rib that punctured and collapsed her lung, and a dislocated shoulder that required surgery.
She has been hospitalized ever since.
Ride shut down
The resort confirmed to the outlet that an injury occurred and that the ride was shut down.
“On Monday, Aug. 17, Copper Mountain Patrol responded to an incident involving a guest on the Rocky Mountain Coaster,” the statement reads. “When members of patrol arrived, the guest was seated in the cart with their seatbelt fastened.”
Ongert said signs posted around the ride states the carts stop and beep if a seatbelt is unfastened. According to him, that didn’t happen.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment told Summit Daily that an investigation will take about one to two months to complete.
The resort could be issued a notice of violation and may face a fine and an order to keep the ride closed until all violations are corrected.
The Rocky Mountain Coaster, which opened in 2017, travels along a 5,800-foot (1,770-metre) track and includes 360-degree turns.