Girl's feet severed on ride at Six Flags in Kentucky

[ariel03]

More blessings her way.
Hope she can use her feet and legs again some day.

[chrisb26]

I couldn't believe this when I saw it on the news this is terrible. Something else I saw was that a girl that was younger then her was originally sitting in the seat and she switched seats for some reason so she was on the other side. That is such a terrible thing. I have been on a ride which is basically the same thing at the Six Flags by my house and you never thing of something like this happening. I might really question going on that ride again.

here is some for the girl and her family. We just have to thank God she survived such a terrible accident.

[disneyfan369]

That poor girl. I hope she does well in her surgery. Prayers and to her, her family, and her friends.

[thrillme]

I hope we hear some status on how she's doing. I totally respect the right to "privacy" perhaps I'm terrible for really wanting to hear how she's doing. I really hate it when anything happens to a child or ANYONE at any park. But especially something like this to a child really hits me. I don't HAVE to know them to hurt for them.

I really don't care whether anybody gets sued, loses their job etc. I'm really just hoping for some good news for her.

[Juggalotus]

I wouldn't worry too much about riding this ride again. You could snap that cable a million times and not have this accident happen again, it really is a fluke.

[DREAMADREAM93]

This just makes me sick that this happened! We had something at a Six Flags here in Atlanta happen a couple years back on a coaster I believe.

Hm- my birthday is in a week and me and my friends are going to the Six Flags here in Atlanta. And now im kind of creeped out.

A couple years ago here, i know there was a worker in an unauthorized zone under the
Batman coaster and as it came by, the man was kicked in the head by a passenger on the ride and he was killed. The girls ankle was also broken. I was wondering if that was the incident you were reffering to because if not please let me know !!

JOrdan :]

[ghost999]

many prayers and many i just hope that she will be ok and live a great life and

[disneydeb]

I hope we hear some status on how she's doing. I totally respect the right to "privacy" perhaps I'm terrible for really wanting to hear how she's doing. I really hate it when anything happens to a child or ANYONE at any park. But especially something like this to a child really hits me. I don't HAVE to know them to hurt for them.

I really don't care whether anybody gets sued, loses their job etc. I'm really just hoping for some good news for her.

I just heard on our CBS news affiliate that she is being treated at Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville. I'm sure she'll get great care there.
The news anchor did not say anything about her present condition .

[thrillme]

I did read a news report that she is in stable condition and the parents are grateful to all the prayers and blessings being sent from all over.

They really didn't state if they were able to save her feet or not. They're still holding that information back. I guess it's going to take time to discover if they could or not. I still pray that her recovery will go well and I hope they keep us aprised on it.

I really would like to hear some good news.

[rsumrall]

What a tragedy! I'm skeptical of all the litigation in our culture these days, but if a court case was ever deserved and needed, this is the scenario. I hope that girl owns Six Flags when it is all said and done.

[MickeyandTink]

What a tragedy! I'm skeptical of all the litigation in our culture these days, but if a court case was ever deserved and needed, this is the scenario. I hope that girl owns Six Flags when it is all said and done.

Just because a horrible accident occurred, it does not necessarily mean Six Flags should pay humongous sums of money to the poor girl. I agree they should take care of all of her medical costs and perhaps some sum of money for pain and suffering, long term effects, etc., but accidents can happen.

Disney hasn't been exactly free of tragedies either. There have been a several deaths at various disney parks over the past several years (granted, not generally due to malfunctioning equipment), but I haven't heard anybody calling for WDW to be shut down.

[murphy1]

Jordan, yes, that was the incident, I just couldn't remember the details. Don't worry, these incidents are extremely rare, please have a great time on your birthday. I still remember how mad people were waiting for Space Mtn to reopen after a minor emergency. I was totally irked that these people were more worried about going on this ride rather than them getting the ride fixed.

I really hope this girl is getting anything she needs right now, this is just terrible.

[battlefield2freak]

this has been a terrible accident and it has hurt six flags jentucky kingdoms attendance alot. i was there last friday and it appeared as if no one had been working on it and the magnet that puls the car up to the top was left up there. they did release the girls name but i forgot it. heres waht was in last nights paper:

Teen's right foot reattached, family says in statement


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The right foot of a 13-year-old girl involved in a gruesome amusement park accident has been reattached, but her left foot was too severely damaged to repair, her family said in a statement Tuesday.

Kaitlyn Lasitter of Louisville remained in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., Dr. Douglas Weikert, a surgeon and assistant professor at Vanderbilt, said in the statement.

"Things are progressing as expected over this first ten days," he said.

Lasitter's feet were severed just above the ankles as she rode the Superman Tower of Power thrill ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom on June 21.

WLKY-TV in Louisville first reported the latest statement.

Investigators with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture said they've taken possession of a cable they believe broke and severed Lasitter's feet, Wilbur Frye, executive director of the department's Office of Consumer and Environmental Protection, has said. The investigation will continue for several more weeks, Frye said.

Lasitter's mother, Monique Lasitter, thanked the doctors, nurses and hospital staff for their work.

"We would not want her to be at any other hospital during this difficult time," the statement said.

The state has been trying to determine what caused the cable to break. Department investigators were taking written statements from witnesses, reviewing statements and analyzing physical evidence and photographs of the scene, Frye said.

The ride was last inspected April 5 and found to be operating normally, Frye said. The ride passed inspection in each of the last four years, according to records.

The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 miles per hour.

Six Flags shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Ill.; and near Washington as a safety precaution, said Wendy Goldberg, a spokeswoman for Six Flags.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

this will probably be all that will be in the paper unless a big break comes in the investigation. if anything new ill post it

[ImagiAsh]

I heard about this! If anyone is familiar with Six Flags Great Adventure (in NJ), I was envisioning the Superman Ride there, which is a rollarcoaster that has foot and chest restraints, because the seats retract back so the rider is lieing in a superman position...not the same ride type as the one mentioned in this accident. What a terrible thing to happen.

[battlefield2freak]

no this is a free fall ride. here ill describe how the superman tower of power works. a magnet at the bottom is attached to 2 cables for each car and the cables hoist the magnet up to the top and the car sits at the top for a few moments then they release the magnet and the car comes back to the station at 50 MPH and the brakes stops it about 20 ft. above the station and then it slowly slides back into the station and then the cables bring the magnet back down. hope that helped

[Scar]

i was there last friday and it appeared as if no one had been working on it and the magnet that puls the car up to the top was left up there.

I suppose this is why.

"The state has been trying to determine what caused the cable to break. Department investigators were taking written statements from witnesses, reviewing statements and analyzing physical evidence and photographs of the scene, Frye said."

[thrillme]

Thanks for the update Battlefield2freak. I'm glad to hear they were able to save at least one. Now I only pray they will be able to help her the rest of the way.

My DS and I have ridden this time of ride NUMEROUS times. On a "positive" note...apparently other safety features were in place to prevent the rest of the people from getting hurt. I really think that the cable wrapping around this young girls feet was a total "freak" accident. I don't know WHY the cable broke hopefully we'll hear something more about that later.

[battlefield2freak]

no problem i just saw it in the paper and figured i should post it. i have not rode it due to its height lol but i was able to see how it worked when i went last time. i just wonder if this will make them put a place to put your feet on so that can happen. so far since that article was in the paper i havent heard anything new but i bet there will be another little thing when she is released to go home, which will more then likely have some updates in the investigation.

[battlefield2freak]

theres been several articles in the paper these last few days. theres at least 3 ill post them all

sunday July 15

Teen injured in amusement park accident released from hospital

By BRETT BARROUQUERE
Associated Press Writer


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A Louisville teenager has been released from a Tennessee hospital, three weeks after her feet were cut off in an amusement park accident.

Kaitlyn Lasitter, 13, was discharged from Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., the hospital said in a written statement on behalf of the girl's family on Saturday.

"With her discharge from the hospital, Kaitlyn has completed only the first step in her long journey toward recovery," said Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesman John Howser. "Kaitlyn and her parents are still facing many challenges ahead."

Doctors at the hospital reattached Lasitter's right foot, according to a family statement released earlier this month. Doctors were unable to save her left foot.

The statement did not say where Lasitter will undergo rehabilitation or if the family would return home to Louisville. A hospital spokesman said Lasitter was discharged either late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

A message left for Larry Franklin, an attorney who represents the Lasitter family, was not immediately returned Saturday.

Carolyn McLean, a spokeswoman for Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, said representatives of the park have tried to contact Lasitter's family several times while she was in the hospital and will renew those efforts now that she has been released.

"We hope to contact them soon," McLean said Saturday.

Lasitter was injured June 21, when a cable broke on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. State investigators have been trying to determine what caused the cable to break. Investigators were taking written statements from witnesses, reviewing statements and analyzing physical evidence and photographs of the scene.

Lasitter's parents, Randall and Monique Lasitter, sued Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Jefferson County Circuit Court on Thursday and are asking a judge to order the park not to destroy the cable that investigators believe tore off the girl's feet.

The lawsuit claims the park failed to maintain the equipment and ensure riders' safety. Carolyn McLean, a spokeswoman for Kentucky Kingdom, said she had not reviewed the lawsuit and declined to comment Friday.

Ted Sloan, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides, said the investigation into the accident is continuing.

The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 miles per hour. The accident caused Six Flags to shut down similar rides at parks in several states.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Friday July 13


courier-journal.com > Local News

Friday, July 13, 2007 E-mail this | Print page



Family sues Ky. Kingdom over accident

By Jason Riley
The Courier-Journal



The parents of a 13-year-old Louisville girl whose feet were severed by a Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom amusement ride on June 21 sued the theme park yesterday, claiming it failed to maintain the equipment and ensure riders' safety.

Kaitlyn Lasitter's parents, Randall and Monique Lasitter, are seeking an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages as well as a jury trial.



The lawsuit filed in Jefferson Circuit Court also asks that a judge issue a temporary injunction to stop the park from altering or destroying the Superman Tower of Power ride or the cable it says broke and tore off both of Kaitlyn's feet above the ankles.

Carolyn McLean, a spokeswoman for the theme park, said she had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

However, McLean said the ride is shut down and "will continue to be shut down until we decide what to do with it" after the investigation is complete.

Kaitlyn, a Highland Middle School student, is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Doctors there reattached her right foot, but couldn't save the left one because of the severity of the injury.

Kaitlyn's parents declined to comment yesterday through hospital spokesman John Howser, referring calls to their attorney, Larry Franklin.

Franklin did not return phone calls to his office and home seeking comment.

Howser said Kaitlyn is recovering well.

Investigators have said it might be weeks before they find out what caused the ride malfunction.

The lawsuit alleges Kentucky Kingdom was negligent in inspecting, testing, maintaining and operating the Superman Tower of Power ride, which also is known as the Hellavator.

The lawsuit also claimed the theme park was careless in operating a "highly dangerous ride at high speeds."

All amusement park rides must be inspected annually by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Office of Consumer and Environmental Protection before the park opens for business. The Tower of Power was inspected April 5 and found to be operating normally.

The ride lifts passengers 177 feet, then drops them at speeds reaching 54 mph.

Kaitlyn, according to the lawsuit, has suffered permanent injury, severe emotional pain and her ability to earn money has been impaired.

The suit also requested damages for the emotional pain Kaitlyn's parents have endured as well as money to care for their daughter during her recovery and "well being for the rest of their lives."

Claims made in filing a lawsuit give only one side of the case.

The Superman Tower of Power remains under a stop-operation order issued by the department, which inspects amusement park rides.

Before the ride would operate again, the department must inspect and test it.

Friday late afternoon, this isnt an article but these are the audio tapes to 9-1-1 from witnesses at the park. some are graphic

courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/NEWS01/70713044/1008/ARCHIVES

[Beast_fanatic]

Girl Hurt At Six Flags Needs More Surgery
Teenager Had Feet Severed On Superman Tower Of Power Ride

POSTED: 7:34 pm CDT July 27, 2007


LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The teenage girl injured at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom must have more surgery because of complications, according to family members, reported WLKY-TV.

The family of Kaitlyn Lasitter issued a statement Friday, updating their daughter's condition.

Kaitlyn's parents said their daughter's physical and emotional pain is "unimaginable."


The 13-year-old's feet were severed while riding the Superman Tower of Power in June.

Her family said the complications are with her left leg, where doctors were not able to reattach her foot.

The statement from the Lasitters reads, "It is disheartening as parents to have witnesses call us personally and tell us that weeks even days before the accident that they were told that the seat Kaitlyn was in was having problems at that time and that all of this could have been prevented."

In early July, Kaitlyn's family filed a lawsuit against the park.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, alleging negligence in inspecting the ride.

It also asks the judge to issue a temporary injunction to stop park officials from altering or destroying the ride.

Randy and Monique Lasitter said they're expecting a long recovery and said they still aren't sure if their daughter will be able to keep her right leg.

They also said they hope when the ordeal is over, they can help prevent this from happening to anyone else.