Superman – Ride of Steel

Superman – Ride of Steel is a steel hyper roller coaster located at Six Flags America. A roller coaster with a mirror layout of Superman – Ride of Steel exists at the Darien Lake called Ride of Steel (formerly Superman – Ride of Steel prior to 2007). The Six Flags America version is an out and back to the right model with two helixes mid course and a couple of bunnyhop hills to end the ride after a transition.

Accidents

• A near-fatal accident occurred on the Darien Lake version in 1999 when a passenger was thrown from the train on one of the final hills. As a result, the park installed standard seat-belts and imposed further restrictions on passenger size and weight. Prior to the accident, the height restriction was 48 inches (1.2 m); now it is 54 inches (1.4 m). This ride also has a computer controlled and monitored restraint system that does not allow the train to leave the station house until all restraints are low enough. The restraints were also replaced with larger and longer lap bars. ^[2] A similar incident resulting in death occurred at Six Flags New England in 2004,^[3] caused by the same problems Darien Lake had rectified after the first incident.

• On Friday, July 8, 2011, at approximately 5:30pm, a rider by the name James Hackemer on the Darien Lake version of the Ride of Steel, fell out of his seat and fell to his death.^[4] Darien Lake released a statement saying that the rider "came out" of the Ride of Steel and passed away, and that their thoughts and prayers are with the family. Sgt. Hackemer was a decorated war veteran and only 29 years old at the time of the accident. He lost both of his legs in a roadside bombing in 2008. According to witnesses, he was ejected from his seat after the first 208-foot (63 m) drop on the following turn. It has not yet been determined if his disability was the main factor of his accident, however it is speculated that this is the case. According to park rules,^[5] a rider without two fully functioning legs should not have been allowed to ride, meaning Hackemer and ride attendants also ignored the rule, putting Hackemer's life in danger. State investigators faulted operator error as the cause of the accident and the ride was re-opened on July 22, 2011.^[6]

Rankings

References

External links

• Six Flags America's Official Page for Superman: Ride of Steel