Accidents Involving Injury at Great America

Official U.S. federal and state data on theme park accidents is almost nonexistent. That's why Theme Park Insider users are creating this visitor-maintained database of theme park accidents--to give public at least some information about attraction safety records.

Do you know of, or have been part of, an accident involving injury at Great America? Report it to Theme Park Insider.

Verified Incidents

9/17/1998 - Top Gun - Submitted by Name Withheld on 9/15/2002

A woman broke her leg, and a man was killed. A couple went on the Top Gun rollercoaster, where the wife lost her hat. After the ride, her husband decided to jump a fence, ignoring several warning signs, to go get his wife's hat. As he was getting the hat, the train came by, he was kicked in the head by a female rider. The woman on the coaster broke her leg, the man on the ground was killed.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.rollercoasterz.com/how_safe_are_coasters.htm

Click here if you have additional information.

I was riding when the ride came to an abrupt stop near the end. Because of the way you are seated, you lay down so that when the ride flips you over you feel like you are flying looking face down at the ground through the whole ride, which is billed as "the world's first flying coaster." I was stranded near 20 minutes at this part near the end of the ride lying on my back with my head lower than my heart, causing the blood to rush into my head, which made my vision go slightly yellow and caused me to almost pass-out. It was also a hot 100 degree California day, causing me to become dehydrated. I had headaches and was vomiting for 3 days afterward.

Click here if you have additional information.

Follow-up:
As someone who has worked at Stealth, this incident is probably true. Many people a day do get stopped in the last park of the ride, waiting for the other train to leave the station. And being the the Calif. heat will have that effect. Many people do have some problem with the blood rushing to the head, causing vision problems. The heat also contributes to this, as well as to possible heat stroke. -- Submitted by Name Withheld on 1/18/2002

WELL I BEEN ON STEALTH MANY TIMES AND ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE LAYING ALL THE WAY BACK I GOT STUCK ON STEALTH FOR 2 HOURS AND NO ONE ON BOTH TRAINS WAS DEHYDRATED OR HAD HEADACES OR ANYTHING AND IT WAS A 100 DEGREESE DAY AND AT THE END THE TRAIN IS COMMING IN AT A FAST PASE THERE NO OTHER WAY TO STOP THE TRAIN BUT TO STOP IT REALLY FAST AND IT DOES ITSTOP THAT BAD -- Submitted by josiecheeks123 on 5/11/2004

Unverified Reports

My 7 year old son suffered a deep cut on his left check while riding the ride.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

My son, 10 years old, got an injury - crack in right collar bone. At the final round of drving, he hit a concrete curb. His safety belt was loosened and his shoulder was hit by the safty belt.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
One lady took a photo. First aid person came and gave a cold pack. -- Submitted by dwlee0123 on 6/7/2004

A 12-year old boy fell to his death Sunday afternoon while riding the Drop Zone freefall thrill ride at Paramount's Great America. Park officials could not say from what height the boy fell, but it is believed that he died instantly.

For more information about this incident, visit http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/news/archives/august99/stories/082499_01.shtml

My 9 year old son at the time was playing in the slime zone, he slipped on the wet concrete floor onto his face and broke his two front teeth.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

around 1993-1994 we spent the day at Great America with my mother who loves roller coasters like me. We decided to go on Top Gun one last time before the park closed on that day at mom's request. We waited for the front row but the harness didn't latch down for my mom sitting to the right of me on the end. We lifted the harness up and yelled at the attendents who were too busy talking to notice the harness was completely up and wouldn't lock. We screamed but the ride took off anyways. Through the ride I held on tight with my arms locked around her arms and managed to keep it down. Comming into the platform we lifted it up to show it was unlocked but as it came in it locked as we were moving it up and down. We got off and yelled at the attendants but all they had to say was it is locking now. We told the next people not to sit in that seat. On the was out we tried to locate park management but it went from looking for the manager to getting us to leave the park. My mother has not been back to a theme park since.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Approximately February or March of 1993, I was working on the Eagle's Flight attraction as a "catcher" and injured myself twice. In one instance, I was crushed between two cabins and cracked a rib, in the other I twisted my knee on the wet landing after I slipped. I have also been injured on Rip Roaring Rapids while working on the Turntable, approximately April of 1995, when my leg was caught between the turntable and a raft and I sprained my knee after twisting it. Last but not least, July of 1998, I was working an exit position at Drop Zone and bent down to retrieve a hat for a guest from the ground between two cabins, and came up too soon and hit my head hard enough for my sunglasses to break and cause a mild concussion. The park is a VERY dangerous place to work in some cases, but then again, maybe I'm just accident-prone. The upside is I met my husband who was an EMT while I worked there...=o)

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

MIcheal Dorsey, aged 9, from Richmond CA, died when he (& a friend, who lived) attempted to jump to the side of the flume & onto the service road. He instead landed in the flume & was crushed between 2 logs.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
Micheal Dorsey was pronounced DOA by paramedics around 4pm on July 3rd, 1989 at Loggers Run. -- Submitted by ravenlenore13 on 12/2/2005

I am confirming the following unconfirmed report. I was there that day, and it also was all over the local news channels. The investigation seemed to show that the boy, who was mentaly handicapped, was forced on the ride by his mother. He freaked out when the ride reached the top and was able to wiggle free of his restraints. Here is a copy of the unverified report: Unverified Reports 8/22/1999 - Submitted by hyp0r on 9/15/2002 A 12-year old boy fell to his death Sunday afternoon while riding the Drop Zone freefall thrill ride at Paramount's Great America. Park officials could not say from what height the boy fell, but it is believed that he died instantly.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

Follow-up:
I WAS THERE IN THE LINE WHEN HE FELL TO HIS DEATH THEY BOY HAD MENTAL PROBLEMS AND WHEN HE WAS UPON THE RIDE HE WAS SCREAMING AND SCARED AO HE WIGGLED AND JERKED AROUND AND FINALLY HE WAS LOOSE AND THATS WHEN THE RIDE CAME DOWN AND HE FEEL TO HIS DEATH AND THE SECTIONOF THE PARK WAS CLOSED -- Submitted by josiecheeks123 on 5/11/2004

2 different employees in 1990 + 1991 have been injured on this ride. Both injuries happened as a result of "catching" the cabins as they enter the station. One girl had her knee knocked in reverse, another employee had been unloading the first cabin, when a second cabin came into the station too soon & and the employee was crushed between them, resulting in cracked ribs.

This incident has not been confirmed. Click here if you can verify it, or have additional information.

If you have additional information that can confirm, clarify or refute any of these reports, please e-mail the editor! (Please don't forget to include the attraction's name in your message.)

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