Mason, Ohio police reportedly said a 38-year-old man had been taken to the hospital after the Banshee roller coaster struck him Wednesday night inside the restricted zone at Kings Island Amusement Park.
Police said the man was in critical condition, according to WCPO-TV.
Kings Island released a statement obtained by the outlet saying the man went into the fenced area around the Banshee restricted to employees and was “believed to have been struck by the ride.”
According to a witness, the man told a worker at the roller coaster he had to get back onto the ride after he had left something behind, the outlet reported. The worker told the man nothing could be done until after the ride had been shut down, according to the outlet. The man had reportedly lost his keys on the rider, police said.
The same witness said the man drifted toward the restricted area and got through with no issues, according to WCPO-TV. The man’s clothes resembled the uniforms of Kings Island employees and he was believed by some to be another worker or manager, the witness reportedly said.
A Banshee rider at the front of the coaster told the witness it sounded like they hit a deer, according to the source, WCPO-TV reported. (RELATED: Swedish Roller Coaster Derails, Killing One, Injuring Others)
The man was reportedly hospitalized at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, his condition unknown.
The amusement park told WCPO-TV, “Kings Island’s focus continues to be on the welfare of the guest and his family,” the park’s statement added, the outlet reported.
Ride inspectors from the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Amusement Ride Safety & Fairs (ODA) were alerted to the incident Wednesday evening and at Kings Island Thursday to inspect the ride, the outlet reported.
The purpose of ODA’s investigation is reportedly to “conduct a full re-inspection for the ride and an investigation to ensure the ride was operating within Ohio’s laws and rules.” There is no set timeline for the investigation, the outlet reported.
The Banshee opened in April 2014 and is “the world’s longest steel-inverted roller coaster,” according to Kings Island’s website.
Kings Island said the Banshee will be shut down until the investigation concludes, the outlet reported.
