Accident at Cedar Point; guest struck by Raptor

[mouse]

Has Raptor been closed?
Also how tall is the fence he jumped over, surely the park could hold some of the blame if it is a small fence and the area is easily accessible by visitors.

 

[Intricks]

- and -

The fencing looks to be at least 7ft high if going by the people waiting in line on the first image.

 

[Ben]

Nah, Raptor's open again.

 

[Hyde]

More on the victim - he was a local Ohioan teacher. http://fox8.com/2015/08/14/local-school ... ns-friday/

 

[Darren B]

No sympathy whatsoever. If you put yourself in a position of harm and end up dead then absolutely, it's sad and my sympathy goes out to the deceased.

Put yourself AND others in harms way and I have no sympathy. He got what he deserved, and I echo other members comments - extremely sad for the family and anyone involved. It goes without saying that the children he taught will be much better off without him.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Well at least everyone at the school he taught will never do something so stupid.

 

[AmusementSci]

Geez. Some people on here could really use a lesson in empathy. Sure, the guy did something moronic, but he certainly didn't deserve to die. Every single person on this site has done something moronic that has put themselves and others in danger. Granted, it probably wasn't as idiotic as climbing a fence and running out in front of a coaster, but we've all done something stupid that could have ended our lives and the lives of others around us at the time (i.e. if you've ever driven a motor vehicle).

And to say that the students that he taught will be better off without him? That's absolutely absurd. You're judging this guy by one action in his 45 years of life. He may have been the best **** teacher on the planet for all you know. You have no idea what type of effect he had on his students. To conclude that his students are better off with him dead is completely irresponsible and disrespectful on your part.

 

[MouseAT]

Whilst it's sad for the people who knew the deceased and have some sympathy for them, I tend to come down more on Darren and Snoo's side of the fence with this one. It's not the first time this has happened, and sadly I'm sure it won't be the last.

There is no excuse for someone recklessly endangering the safety of innocent riders on a coaster train, particularly when said coaster leaves riders exposed in the way an inverted coaster is. What if the people in the front row had collided with this stupid individual at speed? We've already had the horrifying injuries sustained in the Smiler accident earlier this year. I hate to think how much damage a collision between a human leg and a human body could do at 50mph, but I wouldn't be surprised if it could have caused life changing injuries to one or more of the riders.

I don't see this any differently from someone who is driving a car whilst drunk, or overtakes someone on a blind bend. IMO, entering a restricted ride area like this really should be viewed in much the same light. I guess media coverage has something to do with it, as reporting always seems to focus on the tragedy of the death of the foolish individual, with little or no mention of the fact that they recklessly put far more people at risk with their actions.

 

[AmusementSci]

I completely agree with what you said. It was irresponsible on his part and he put multiple lives in danger. However, there is a difference between acknowledging that fact and saying some like "he deserved to die" and that his students are better off that he was tragically killed. It's unfair to the deceased individual to make the assumption that he's such a terrible human for this one action that the kids that he taught are better off without him.

And sure, it's easy at first to say these things and not have sympathy, but then you start to hear more details about his life and realize that he's a human-being like you or I. I think it's natural to have a sympathetic response.

 

[njn63]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Sad for his family but it's hard to feel sorry for the person killed when he 1. put so many people at risk of injury for a stupid cell phone (that was likely broken anyways) and 2. completely ignored all the signs saying not to enter that area before scaling a large fence.

 

[tribar]

I hate to be that guy but he got what he deserved. Hard to imagine a teacher could be that dumb. He inconvenienced thousands of people and put dozens of people's lives in danger for a cell phone (or something else). My thoughts are with his family and the riders. I only hope they are not stupid and selfish enough to sue. Cedar Point, B&M and Raptor are of no fault.

And postponing the announcement because of this? What a joke. In fact he has inconvenienced billions, not thousands.

 

[Darren B]

I completely agree with what you said. It was irresponsible on his part and he put multiple lives in danger. However, there is a difference between acknowledging that fact and saying some like "he deserved to die" and that his students are better off that he was tragically killed. It's unfair to the deceased individual to make the assumption that he's such a terrible human for this one action that the kids that he taught are better off without him.

And sure, it's easy at first to say these things and not have sympathy, but then you start to hear more details about his life and realize that he's a human-being like you or I. I think it's natural to have a sympathetic response.

I'm not making any assumptions, I'm pretty much stating a fact. NOBODY would want their children to be taught by this moron if this is the example that he sets.

A couple of years ago me and Ian witnessed a fatal road accident between a car and and a motorcycle with the motorcycle at fault due to excessive speed, the motorcyclist died as a result. There was an 8 year old child sat in the passenger seat of the impacted car; she could have died, but at the very least she will now remember that day she witnessed someone brutally die for the rest of her life. I feel no sadness for the man I saw die, only for that young girl. This incident at Cedar Point is almost no different, but it's probably affected so many more people.

 

[Pink Cadillac]

In fact he has inconvenienced billions, not thousands.

I think billions is a bit OTT

 

[gavin]

Yes. BILLIONS of people have been eagerly awaiting CP's announcement. Billions.

 

[mouse]

I can imagine this was split second decision, we all have moments of stupidity and don't think of consequences. Of course this was a more extreme case, but I don't think we should judge him solely on this one moment of stupidity.

 

[Darren B]

^So we shouldn't judge Ian Huntley for his moment of madness when he murdered 2 school girls? I mean after all, he hadn't killed anyone before.

 

[mouse]

So now you're comparing him to a crazed murderer?
Intentionally murdering two girls is slightly different to retrieving a phone in a restricted area. I doubt this guy deliberately chucked his phone over the fence in the hope that he would injure people on the ride. He would've made a quick (albeit stupid) judgement that he could retrieve his phone quickly before the coaster made its way round. He wouldn't have had any intention to harm anyone so I don't think comparing him to a murderer is entirely fair.

 

[AmusementSci]

So we shouldn't judge Ian Huntley for his moment of madness when he murdered 2 school girls? I mean after all, he hadn't killed anyone before.

lol. That's such an outrageous comparison that it doesn't even warrant a counterargument.

I'm not making any assumptions, I'm pretty much stating a fact. NOBODY would want their children to be taught by this moron if this is the example that he sets.

Seriously? You believe that he was teaching this in the classroom?

I went to undergrad with plenty of individuals who went on to become teachers. Most (if not all) of them went out binge drinking on the weekends and doing all of the stupid things that you do in college. Some of these people have gone on to become great teachers who have received recognition as such in their communities. A fair amount of these teachers still go out on the weekends and drink to excess. I think most people would agree that this would be setting a bad example for the students whom are very impressionable. But it's not like they're incorporating how to binge drink into their curriculum. Would these students be better off if their teachers died tragically on the weekend?

 

[Darren B]

So we shouldn't judge Ian Huntley for his moment of madness when he murdered 2 school girls? I mean after all, he hadn't killed anyone before.

lol. That's such an outrageous comparison that it doesn't even warrant a counterargument.

I'm not making any assumptions, I'm pretty much stating a fact. NOBODY would want their children to be taught by this moron if this is the example that he sets.

Seriously? You believe that he was teaching this in the classroom?

I went to undergrad with plenty of individuals who went on to become teachers. Most (if not all) of them went out binge drinking on the weekends and doing all of the stupid things that you do in college. Some of these people have gone on to become great teachers who have received recognition as such in their communities. A fair amount of these teachers still go out on the weekends and drink to excess. I think most people would agree that this would be setting a bad example for the students whom are very impressionable. But it's not like they're incorporating how to binge drink into their curriculum. Would these students be better off if their teachers died tragically on the weekend?

Are you really comparing binge drinking to entering an illegal area and potentially killing numerous people? I'll humour you anyways;

If you're a teacher, binge drinking on the weekend is fine. You're in the company of adults without a child in site. What THIS teacher has done has put on a show for dozens of children. They may not have been his children, but they're children non the less.

 

[AmusementSci]

The comparison is definitely a stretch, but more apt a comparison than comparing him to a convicted killer.

What I'm saying is that its outrageous to suggest that his students are better off without him when we don't have any other information about him. The guy made a (ridiculously stupid) snap decision with no intent to harm himself or anyone else and his life tragically ended. We have nothing to indicate that he has a history or reckless behavior and that said reckless behavior had been put on display in front of his students.

Like I said earlier, this guy may have been a great teacher who was an inspiration to his students. Or, he may not have been. Maybe he was a bad influence, but the fact is we don't know. I'm taking issue with the assumption that his students are better off without him and that this man deserved to die. It's disrespectful to him and his family.