SANDUSKY, Ohio — Cedar Point was cleared of any legal wrongdoing Friday in the accident that led to a woman being seriously injured last summer when a piece of metal flew off the Top Thrill Dragster and hit her in the head.
Rachel Hawes, of Swartz Creek, Mich., was struck in the head by an L-shaped bracket in August while waiting in line. The Ohio Department of Agriculture released its findings Friday and concluded no laws were broken by the amusement park.
"After a thorough review of the evidence collected and documented in the Investigative Summary attached hereto, it is the opinion of the Amusement Ride Safety (ARS) Division that there is insufficient evidence to find the actions or inactions of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (Cedar Point) violated any of the laws found in Chapter 993 of the Ohio Revised Code or any rules adopted by ODA pursuant to ORC 993.04," the report stated. "Therefore, ODA ARS is not recommending any administrative action against Cedar Point."
ODA conducted a post-accident inspection of the ride, interviewed Cedar Point staff, and reviewed thousands of pages of maintenance records, witness reports and lab reporting. ODA said it "could not establish the levels of necessary proof" to bring any charges.
ODA's inspection found an L-shaped bracket missing from the back of one of the trains.
Cedar Point spokesman Tony Clark released the following statement late Friday:
"Today we received the results of the investigation by the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Amusement Ride Safety & Fairs, which determined that 'after examining the documentation provided and conducting interviews of Cedar Point staff, ODA found no evidence that Cedar Point had knowledge of or reason to believe that the Top Thrill Dragster was in an unsafe condition that could cause a hazard to riders, employees, or the public on August 15, 2021.'
"Cedar Point has cooperated fully with ODA throughout its investigation into the incident and we will closely review the substance of ODA’s report."
Clark also confirmed the Dragster will remain closed for the 2022 season.
Last summer, Chief of Amusement Ride Safety David Miran said the item is known as a "flag plate," which is attached to the back of each train and acts as a sensor to help the operating system monitor vehicles on the track. The object is about the size of a human hand.
The inspection found the roller coaster had multiple loose bolts as well as damage. They also found “multiple bolts” in the brake framework were “found to be different or improper grade.”
As a result of the six-month investigation, the state agency “is considering the matter closed and is not considering any administrative action against Cedar Point.”
According to the report, Cedar Point staff told investigators there were no issues with the flag plate in recent memory. The mechanic responsible for the roller coaster said the part was not loose prior to the morning of Aug. 15, and an inspection the night of Aug. 14 did not reveal any damage.
"ODA did not discover any evidence to contradict these statements," the report stated.
Hawes' family issued a statement in the days after the incident saying she was "fighting for her life." She survived, but her current status is unknown.
Photos included in the 620-page report taken in the aftermath of the incent show a substantial amount of blood on the ground. The Dragster was closed for the remainder of the 2021 season.