A guest at an Ohio amusement park was killed after he was struck by a popular roller coaster while he was trying to retrieve his cellphone Thursday afternoon, officials said.
The accident happened at Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio. It had been named “The World’s Best Amusement Park” for more than 15 years until recently by industry publication Amusement Today.
The man was identified as James A. Young, 45, of East Canton, Ohio, NBC station WKYC of Cleveland reported.
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Bryan Edwards, a spokesman for Cedar Point, told NBC News in a statement: “At approximately 5 p.m., a guest entered a restricted, fenced area of the Raptor roller coaster and was struck by the ride. Park safety officials responded immediately to the situation. Unfortunately the guest has passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this time.”
The Raptor, described by Cedar Point as an aggressive thrill ride, reaches speeds up to 57 mph.
Alex Nay was waiting on line to ride the coaster when the gruesome scene unfolded and took a photo that showed a bloodied person laying on the ground.
“I didn’t see it happen because I was about to get on the ride, but I saw him laying on the ground and the medics giving him chest compressions and eventually stop,” he said.
The incident fell on the same day that more than 6,000 people attended the park as a part of the LeBron James Family Foundation’s long-term partnership with Cedar Point.
This article first appeared on NBCNews.com.
