A Texas woman says she was seriously injured after being dragged along the track of a Colorado mountain roller coaster, a ride that has since been shut down while state authorities investigate.
Nicola Parker, 60, was on the Rocky Mountain Coaster at Copper Mountain, a ski resort west of Denver, on August 17 when she was thrown from her cart and became caught in her seatbelt, according to a statement from her attorneys.
The alpine coaster’s carts are equipped with handbrakes that allow riders to manage their speed, but the ride can reach up to 25mph as it winds through sharp turns and drops 430 vertical feet over a 5,800-foot track.
Parker’s lawyers allege that one of those turns flung her out of the seat, leaving her to be dragged along the metal track for 20 to 30 seconds while the cart continued moving downhill.
Her husband, riding in the cart directly behind her, was forced to watch the ordeal “helplessly” and in “sheer terror,” the attorneys said.
The crash left Parker with severe injuries, including a separated left shoulder, a broken rib that punctured and collapsed her left lung, a traumatic brain injury and deep lacerations, according to her legal team.
She was first taken to a hospital and later transferred to a trauma center. Parker has undergone three surgeries since the incident — two to treat her punctured lung and another for her shoulder — and remains hospitalized as she continues to recover, her attorneys said.
Copper Mountain closed the Rocky Mountain Coaster on August 17. The ride is expected to remain closed while Colorado’s Division of Oil & Public Safety, the agency responsible for regulating amusement rides, carries out its investigation.
Nicola Parker, 60, allegedly suffered serious injuries after being launched from a Colorado mountain roller coaster on August 17. She is pictured with her husband
Parker’s attorneys said that she was tangled in her seatbelt and dragged along Copper Mountain’s Rocky Mountain Coaster (pictured) for 20 to 30 seconds
‘If the investigation determines the operator is out of compliance with any rules or regulations, we may issue a notice of violation that could potentially include fines and/or an order to discontinue the ride until all violations are satisfactorily corrected,’ a spokesperson for the division told Westword.
Parker’s attorneys contend that the mechanisms of the Rocky Mountain Coaster prove that their client is not responsible in any way for her injuries.
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Signs on the ride state that the cart automatically stops and beeps if a passenger removes their seatbelt. Because the cart never stopped moving, it proves that Parker’s seatbelt was fastened, her lawyers said.
No lawsuit has been filed against Copper Mountain, as Parker’s attorneys are awaiting the outcome of the investigation by state officials.
‘Ms. Parker had her seatbelt fastened at all times and followed all instructions provided by Copper Mountain. There is simply no way she should have been ejected from the coaster. We look forward to receiving the results of the investigation,’ one of her attorneys, Joseph Bloch, said.
‘Parker is just beginning her medical treatment caused by this incident, and her doctors continue to discover new injuries and complications that have required additional surgeries,’ he added.
‘This incident will have a severe impact on her, both physically and emotionally, for the rest of her life.’
In a statement to ABC News, Copper Mountain said it is cooperating with the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety as it conducts an investigation.
Parker’s husband allegedly had to watch ‘helplessly’ and ‘sheer terror’ as his wife was dragged. She suffered injuries including a broken rib that punctured her lung, her lawyers said
The Rocky Mountain Coaster was closed pending an investigation by Colorado’s Division of Oil & Public Safety. Parker’s attorneys are waiting for the results before potentially filing a lawsuit
‘Our thoughts are with the guest, and we wish them a speedy recovery,’ the statement also said.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Copper Mountain for further comment.
The Rocky Mountain Coaster has been open since 2017, and there have been no previous serious injuries reported to have been caused by the ride, according to state officials.
A similar mountain coaster at the Purgatory Resort in Durango, about 280 miles southwest of Copper Mountain, has also been closed pending the results of the investigation by authorities.
