A 60-year-old Texas woman was left with severe injuries — including a fractured rib, collapsed lung, traumatic brain injury and a dislocated shoulder that required surgery — after she was allegedly thrown from a Colorado roller coaster and dragged along the ride, according to reports and the law firm representing her.
Nicki Parker was riding the Rocky Mountain Coaster at Copper Mountain Resort when she was reportedly ejected from her seat but remained caught in the seat belt as the coaster continued moving, Fox 31 Denver reported, citing her attorney. The ordeal allegedly lasted roughly 20 to 30 seconds.
“It was actually wrapped around her and pulled her, and she was dragged along the track as it went down,” Trent Ongert of Bloch Ongert Injury Law told the outlet.
Ongert said Parker’s husband, who was in the coaster car behind her, saw what happened and tried to reach her.
“She was lying on the track. He then had to get her out because there was nobody, no way to get to her,” he said, adding that the riders were “about 15 to 20 feet off the ground.”
Parker is still being treated in the hospital, according to Ongert.
A posted notice near the ride states that the “cart will stop and beep” if a seat belt becomes disconnected.
The incident is now under investigation by Colorado’s Division of Oil and Public Safety’s Amusement Rides and Devices Program.
“We can confirm our Division of Oil & Public Safety is investigating an incident that happened on Copper Mountain’s Rocky Mountain Coaster on Monday, August 17, 2026,” the agency told Fox News Digital.
“One rider was injured in the incident. The Rocky Mountain Coaster is currently closed while the investigation continues. OPS has also told the manufacturer that they need to publish a safety bulletin and share it with all impacted operators.
“A similar ride operating at the Purgatory Resort is also closed pending the outcome of the investigation. Documentation involving the incident will not be made public until the investigation is complete.”
The roller coaster, which is 5,800 feet long and bills itself as the “2nd longest alpine coaster in North America,” remains closed, according to its website.
“Our thoughts are with the guest, and we wish them a speedy recovery,” the resort said in a press release sent to local outlets.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the agency, the resort and Ongert for comment.
