A rollercoaster that crashed into a woman and left her seriously injured is set to reopen again, despite being the subject of an ongoing investigation.
Shylah Rodden was struck by the Rebel Rollercoaster as it was travelling at full speed during last year’s Melbourne Royal Show.
The incident came to worldwide attention after a video showing the lead-up to the tragedy appeared, and stories circulated that Shylah – then 26 years old - was left trapped in her own body after the accident, despite waking up from a coma.
She was thrown nine metres into the air by the white-knuckle ride after she tried to grab a phone that had fallen on the tracks on September 24, 2022.
Now, she’s continuing her rehabilitation after a large and serious brain injury.
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That rehab will likely take years to come.
As well as the brain injury, Shylah also suffered injuries to her head, pelvis, arms, legs, and back after she was hit at 70 miles per hour.
The ride is set to return to the Melbourne Royal Show this year, with punters expected to be charged A$15 to ride the attraction, which promises customers ‘dips, loops, sharp bends, and lots of thrills’.
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The Rebel Coaster is open to anyone over the age of six and above the height of one metre 30 centimetres tall.
WorkSafe Victoria told Daily Mail Australia that the investigation into the coaster is ‘ongoing’.
So far, there have been no charges brought against the operators of the ride.
They report that there will be a team of engineers and inspectors brought in to look over all the rides at this year’s fair before the paying public is allowed in.
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A spokesperson for WorkSafe Victoria said: “We have continued to work with ride operators, WorkSafe, independent engineers and authorities to review the safety and operations of all rides on site to ensure they are safe prior to them being opened to the public,
“We once again extend our sympathy to Shylah and her family following the incident at the 2022 show.
“We also extend our thoughts to the bystanders who witnessed the incident.”
It is thought that Ms Rodden went onto the track to retrieve a phone that she had dropped while riding it with a friend during a break from work.
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At the time, a spokesperson for the Royal Melbourne Show said: “The safety and wellbeing of our visitors to the Show continues to be our number one priority,
“We uphold strict safety protocols in line with Victorian WorkSafe regulations and all rides on site have undergone stringent compliance inspections.
“No ride is turned on until it has passed all the required safety and compliance documentation.”
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Ms Rodden’s family have described the decision to reopen the ride as ‘shameful’.
Melbourne Royal Show will run from September 21 to October 1.
Topics: Australia
Tom Wood