‘We all saw it fly off’: Video shows chaotic moments after woman hurt at Cedar Point

SANDUSKY, Ohio (WTVG) - Sandusky Police bodycam video from Cedar Point shows some of the chaotic moments after a woman was hit by a metal object that flew off the roller coaster she was in line to ride.

The woman cried out for help repeatedly from the ground near the Top Thrill Dragster.

Cedar Point officials have only described what hit the woman as a “small metal object” that became disengaged as the ride was ending a run. The bodycam video shows a park employee hand an officer a small bolt that he said came off the ride, but he said he wasn’t sure if that object is what hit the woman.

Ryan Leppo was also standing in line for the roller coaster when he saw the object fly through the air from the ride. It was his first time visiting the park.

“It honestly looked like a giant Jenga block,” Leppo said.

Park staff appear in the video to administer first aid as Sandusky police officers and firefighters arrive with a gurney to transport her to the hospital. While first responders are treating her, a woman who claims to be a nurse urges them to get the woman a c-spine collar to support her neck. She was told to back away.

Sandusky firefighters are seen in the video preparing to take her from the park to a hospital.

“Please help me,” she screamed as she was wheeled out of the ride area.

Leppo said there was confusion at first in his part of the line about what was happening. The ride ran another time before park guests could flag down staff at the front of the line to stop the ride, Leppo said, as some people started to scream and run to get out of line.

“It was just scary,” Leppo said. “That’s the easiest way to put it.”

After she was taken away, another man approached the Sandusky police officer to describe what he saw. He identified himself as an off-duty sheriff’s deputy.

“There was something like this big that came off,” he said while holding his hands in a round shape that was about the size of a football. “We don’t know what it was. There was a ton of people around her so I don’t know if someone picked something up.”

A maintenance worker, who the Sandusky police officer gave the bolt to, asked the deputy what happened to the piece that hit the woman.

“I have no idea. No one knows,” he responded. “I checked everything we could. I walked the whole thing. I couldn’t find anything. We all saw it fly off. It came, hit the top of one of those things and shot downwards.”

The deputy said he ran toward the commotion to see how he could help. He also described the quick response time by Cedar Point EMTs.

“They were here within seconds,” he said.

Tony Clark, a Cedar Point spokesperson didn’t respond to another request for an update on the investigation into the ride Tuesday. On Wednesday afternoon, he said the incident is still under investigation.

“Our focus continues to be on the guest and her family,” Clark said. “Because the incident is still under investigation, the ride remains closed and there is no additional information to share at this time.”

The woman’s current condition is not known.

State inspectors were at the park investigating the Top Thrill Dragster on Monday, which was inspected in May and was set to be checked again in September.

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