MASON, Ohio — A man was taken to the hospital Wednesday night after reports say he was struck the Banshee roller coaster at Kings Island near Cincinnati.
A spokesperson for Kings Island released the following statement to 3News early Thursday morning:
On Wednesday at approximately 8:00 p.m., a guest entered a restricted, fenced area of the Banshee roller coaster and is believed to have been struck by the ride. The park’s safety and first aid personnel responded immediately to the situation and contacted local emergency responders. The guest was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The ride remains closed while local authorities and park personnel conduct an investigation.
Kings Island’s focus continues to be on the welfare of the guest and his family. There is no additional information to share at this time.
Mason police say the guest -- identified as a 38-year-old man -- was taken to the hospital with what’s being called a “critical injury,” according to NBC affiliate WLWT.
The Banshee is an inverted roller coaster -- like Raptor at Cedar Point -- in which the trains are below the track while riders' feet dangle. The attraction first opened in 2014.
Thrill-seekers have something to scream about when they experience the world’s longest steel inverted roller coaster. With seven stomach-churning inversions, the 4,124-foot long coaster ties another steel inverted roller coaster record. Themed to a wailing mythological messenger from the underworld with flowing white hair and gleaming eyes, Banshee features the following succession of breath-taking thrills: A 167-foot lift hill, 150-foot curved first drop, a dive loop, a vertical loop encircling the lift hill, a zero-gravity roll, a pair of batwing inversions, outside loop, spiral, in-line roll and carousel, all at speeds up to 68 mph! As a result of the natural terrain underneath Banshee, riders experience an elevation change of 208 feet from the highest point of the ride – the 167-foot tall lift hill – and the lowest point with the batwing inversions. The top speed of 68 mph is not reached until the midway point of the ride rather than the first drop as riders experience on most other roller coasters.
Back in August 2015, a guest at Cedar Point was struck and killed after park officials said he entered a restricted, fenced area of the Raptor.