Tragic Accident
Six Flags roller coaster death spurs safety investigation
Three days after a woman died while riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, there are more questions than answers. The woman was killed after falling out of her seat on the Texas Giant around 6:30 pm Friday, July 19.
Initial reports named the victim as 52-year-old Rosy Esparza. But the Tarrant County Medical Examiner identified a woman named Rosa Ayala-Goana, who died of "multiple traumatic injuries due to a fall from a roller coaster." Ayala-Goana, 52, died at 7 pm July 19 at Six Flags in Arlington. Her death was ruled an accident.
The cause of the accident, however, still has not been determined. The Arlington Police Department released a statement saying that it did not find any foul play or criminality associated with the incident.
Witnesses reported watching a woman fall out of her seat as the roller coaster reached a peak. At least one person waiting in line to ride the Texas Giant heard the victim raise questions about her safety restraints. Carmen Brown told the Dallas Morning News that a park employee assured the woman of her safety, saying "as long as you heard it click, you're fine."
Officials from Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, the German roller coaster company that built the Texas Giant, will conduct an investigation. A spokesperson told NBC-DFW that the company has never had problems with car safety bars on its roller coasters, but they will visit the park and to see what transpired.
The Texas Giant has remained closed since the accident, and the park has limited other activities as well.
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Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys