accident happened around 4:45 p.m. Thursday on the Superman The accident resulted in the death of a 14-year-old girl and the injury of 19 other riders. In July of 2000, an accident occurred at the Superman Tower of Power ride at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park in Louisville, Kentucky. ; Carowinds, in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Great America in Santa Clara, California, the AP reported. A cord wrapped around the 16-year-old's feet and severed them at her ankles while she was on the "Superman Tower of Power," a police dispatcher said. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect The cars lifted up slowly at first, but quickly accelerated to 12mph (19km/h) after leaving the magnetic brakes. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg says the accident happened around 4:45 p.m. Thursday on the Superman Tower of Power. "She said 'let's not ride it, let's go ride something else.' [10] On November 29, 2007, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom announced that Superman: Tower of Power would be demolished completely. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 36 riders per train. Im Joel Watson and Im a content manager at veryaware.com, an entertainment website. In the comics, Superman is typically portrayed as being around 6 feet tall, whereas in the live-action films he is usually closer to 63. "Millions of people have safely ridden this ride in our parks," Goldberg said. He can overcome bullets that hit at a high rate of speed. When CEO Mark Shapiro made his stop at the park on his national tour of the Six Flags parks in 2006, he ordered the name change to Superman: Tower of Power and the tower was repainted again, but in an alternating color scheme of yellow, blue and red with yellow and blue accent rings. They are snug as bugs in heavy duty shoulder restraints, as they are lifted three stories up. / CBS/AP. Joel Watson The Superman: Tower of Power at Kentucky Kingdom (park then operating as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom) was an Intamin Giant Drop model, nearly identical to the one at Six Flags St. Louis. Superman: Tower of Power was a drop tower at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. Park: Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Story: As the riders ascended the Superman: Tower of Power ride, a broken cable snapped, whipped around, and severed a 13-year old girl's feet. Six Flags shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Illinois; and near Washington as a safety precaution, Goldberg said. How would you feel if a supersonic roller coaster hit you? [11], On May 14, 2008, the girl's family spoke and gave support for a bill introduced by Massachusetts State Representative Ed Markey on Capitol Hill, which would have allowed the federal government to oversee permanent rides at amusement parks. Story and pictures provided by WAVE3 Raycom Media. Theres no time to waste as you get closer to boarding one of Disneys most terrifying rides. Why Supermans Face Hasnt Been Snapped And Identified, How Batman V Superman Set Up The DC Extended Universe, 5 Tips For Maximizing Your Superman Adventure In Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, How Much Is How Superman Came To Earth Worth, The Iconic Superman: 80 Years Of DC Comics Publishing, 5 Superhero Games You Should Download Today. Since its opening in 1997, the ride has earned its place as one of the most thrilling experiences in the park. His strength allows him to leap tall buildings one at a time. Kaitlyn Lasitter's legs were severed when cables snapped on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. #inline-recirc-item--id-93edfe5e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-93edfe5e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { "I seen the car go up. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. The ride originally opened at Six Flags Astroworld (Houston, Texas) as. At night the ride is illuminated by various lights that change color and can be seen for miles. Thus, the Lasitters weren't at the park when Kaitlyn and her friends climbed aboard the Superman Tower of Power, a ride that lifts passengers 177 feet into the air, followed by a. Intamin, a Swiss company, made all the rides that were closed by both companies, said Craig Ross, a spokesman for Cedar Fair. The Superman Tower of Power was the first stop for then 13 year old Kaitlyn Lasitter and her two friends. Superman: Escape from Krypton, which debuted in Six Flags Magic Mountain earlier this year, is the parks fastest roller coaster. This 30 foot tower will lift them high into the sky and gently back down to the ground. That's what happened here except for one major mishap. "At firstI thought people were screaming because they were scared," Stinnett said. The riders are then bounced halfway up the tower and dropped again until they are slowly brought back down to be unloaded. She was not identified and details of her condition were not immediately available Friday. 2007 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. display: block; According to Six Flags officials no one else was hurt. Superman is a character that has fascinated many people for a long time. A judge ruled last week that the ride can be dismantled. The operator heard the cable snap and acknowledged unusual screaming as the car climbed, but failed to press the emergency stop button until after the ride had already dropped. June 21st, 2007, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. History The Superman: Tower of Power at Kentucky Kingdom (park then operating as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom) was an Intamin Giant Drop model, nearly identical to the one at Six Flags St. Louis. "She's so proud of herself that she has gotten around on crutches," he told The Courier-Journal of Louisville. Doctors were able to reattach Kaitlyn's right foot after the accident on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, but her left foot was too severely damaged to repair and . to figure out what exactly went wrong. The Superman: Tower of Power at Kentucky Kingdom (park then operating as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom) was an Intamin Giant Drop model, nearly identical to the one at Six Flags St. Louis. The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops 154 feet, reaching a speed of 54 miles per hour according to the park's Web site. State officials were investigating the incident. Six Flags has shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis, Gurnee, Ill., and near Washington as a safety precaution, Goldberg said. #inline-recirc-item--id-93edfe5e-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Doctors have said they will not know for months if Kaitlyn's body will accept or reject it, the family said. The Lasitters sued Kentucky Kingdom in July, claiming the theme park failed to maintain the ride and ensure riders' safety. The Superman Tower of Power ascends to 177 feet, then drops the riders at 54 miles an hour, stopping just 20 feet above the ground. The park remained open, but the ride in question was shut down and will remain so until the full investigation is complete, Goldberg said. Park officials stated that the employee had been struck by a roller coaster train. The girl's name was not released because she is a minor. Treva Smith said it snapped again as the ride descended. [6][7] Her right foot was successfully reattached, but not her left, which required amputation below the left knee. In reality had the ride operators done their job this accident could have been prevented.Sources:https://youtu.be/RF-_qie3Klo-Giant Drop SFGAm Controls Explained sfgamfanhttps://ridesdatabase.org/sites/default/files/accident_reports/KY_917172.pdf-accident report (use wayback machine) (used for most of video)https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2008/04/15/89148.htm-SFKK failed to comply with intamin inspections, and used a non intamin cable (2003). All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A girl's feet were severed when the Superman Tower of Power malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park in Louisville, police said. "We were about to ride that ride before it happened," said Megan Watham. [2][3] Three additional drop towers of the same model by S&S are installed at other Six Flags parks Six Flags New England and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, each known as Scream and one more built at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor known as Sasquatch. Six Flags St. Louis, originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, is an amusement park featuring characters and rides from many Warner Bros. films and tv shows such as, Looney Tunes, DC Comics, and formerly Scooby-Doo.It is located in Eureka, Missouri, which is a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri.Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park opened on June 5, 1971 as the third of the company's . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. SUPERMAN: Tower of Power is a free-fall drop tower built just for little kids. The accident happened around 4:45 p.m. Thursday on the Superman Tower of Power, formerly known as the "Hell-a-vator." Riders are strapped in and slowly taken to the top, then dropped at a speed of 56 miles per hour before easing to a stop on the ground. "When I got up there, the lady, she was just sitting there and she didn't have no legs," Smith said. "The people on the ride just came and hit the ground," she said. "We'll wait and see.". According to the park's website, the ride lifts passengers 177 feet (54 meters) straight up, then drops them 154 feet (47 meters), reaching a speed of 54 mph (87 kph). Superman: Tower of Power was a drop tower at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. The ride was constructed by Martin & Vleminckx. A 13-year-old girl visiting Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom lost both of her feet when a ride malfunctioned Thursday afternoon. "We are deeply saddened by this incident and of course have genuine concern for the well-being of the entire family. But how did the park manage to get Superman [] You realize youre about to become the sixth rider on one of the most intense rides in Disney World. It first opened at the park October . However, in general, Superman is usually depicted as being around 6 feet tall. Opened in 2003, Superman: Tower of Power is a drop tower ride towering 325 feet over Six Flags Over Texas. Passengers -- secured with bars and seat belts but with arms and legs free -- drop 154 feet at 54 mph, stopping "just 20 terrifying feet above the pavement," the Web site says. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and of course Netflix and chill! The injuredteen was rushed to University Hospital after the accident, and we learned around 8 p.m. Thursday that the teen was in surgery. During the ride, a malfunction caused the cable to break. 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