July 10, 2011: Amputee War Vet Dies on "Ride of Steel" Rollercoaster

Superman - Ride of Steel The Darien Lake Theme Park rollercoaster formerly known as "Superman: Ride of Steel", now known simply as "The Ride of Steel" (as the park is no longer part of Six Flags), has tragically claimed the life of a 29 year old Iraq war veteran.

    According to Genesee County Sheriff's Sergeant Greg Walker, 29-year-old James Hackemer of Gowanda was a passenger on "The Ride of Steel," formerly "Superman: Ride of Steel," at Darien Lake Theme Park Friday afternoon. He was sitting in the very front seat of the first car on the ride. At about 5:30pm, Hackemer was ejected from the rollercoaster on a hill. The rollercoaster was traveling approximately 50mph at the time of the incident. Hackemer fell an unknown distance and sustained fatal injuries upon impact.

    Hackemer had undergone amputations to each of his legs following his service in Iraq: one just above the knee, and the other at his hip. At the time of Friday's accident, he was not wearing prosthetic legs.

    "The Ride of Steel" is outfitted with two types of restraints in each seat: a lap bar, and a lap-only seatbelt. There is no shoulder harness and no other type of bodily restraint built into the ride. Sergeant Walker would not comment on whether the types of restraints, combined with Hackemer's amputations, had led to the ride accident.

Source: WBTAI.com.


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