Four individuals who were passengers on a rollercoaster involved in a tragic incident are taking legal action against the operator, citing the traumatic experience they endured.
Siblings Paige, Chloe, and Jordan Loone, along with Jordan’s partner, Alexandra Petterd, have filed a lawsuit against the Royal Agricultural Society, which oversees the Royal Melbourne Show, as well as Chant Amusements, the company responsible for the ride.
The incident, which garnered international attention, occurred on September 25, 2022. It involved Chant’s Rebel Coaster, which collided with 26-year-old Shylah Rodden. She had ventured onto the track to retrieve her phone, bypassing safety barriers.
Rodden sustained severe brain injuries after being propelled nine meters into the air by the high-speed coaster. The accident left her with significant facial injuries, permanent blindness in one eye, and deafness in one ear.
Chloe, 28, and Alexandra, 29, were seated at the front of the Rebel Coaster when it struck Rodden at a speed of 70 km/h, dragging her along the tracks. The ride made a sharp turn, causing Rodden to fall the nine meters to the ground.
Both passengers witnessed the horrific scene, heard Rodden’s distressing cries, and were left suspended mid-air when the ride came to an abrupt halt.
Even after lengthy rehabilitation in hospital, Ms Rodden still needed the support of a walking frame and a wheelchair, and could only go a limited time before she has to rest.
In a shock decision, WorkSafe Victoria abandoned plans to charge the Show or the rollercoaster operators that struck Ms Rodden.
Jordan Loone and his partner Alex Petterd, 29, are suing the Royal Melbourne Show and amusement ride giant Chant for the trauma and shock they suffered from having front row seats to the catastrophic accident
Jordan Loone and his sister Chloe (above) witnessed the rollercoaster striking Shylah Rodden at 70kph and dragging her along the tracks before she fell 9m to the ground
Shylah Rodden, 26, before the rollercoaster accident (left) and afterwards, having suffered a massive brain injury (right) and permanent blindness and deafness
However, now the four passengers aged in their late 20s and early 30s have filed a suit in the Victorian Supreme Court, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
While Chloe and Alex had a terrifying front row seat to the traumatic event, Paige, 32 and Jordan, 31 ,were right by the ride watching it unfold.
All four complainants say that neither the Show nor Chant checked in with them nor offered support afterwards.
‘For the two of us on the ride, our cart struck a woman, we saw blood, we heard screaming, and were stuck high off the ground on a 45 degree angle for some time,’ a statement said.
‘For the two of us watching and videoing our loved ones on the rollercoaster, in the shock of it all, we weren’t sure if one of our loved ones had fallen off the ride or what had happened, we had to wait for 45 minutes before we could find out if our loved ones were safe, then as we had footage of the incident we had to deal with the police also.
‘We still experience night terrors and flashbacks of what happened on that day and have aince all been diagnosed with PTSD.’
Following Ms Rodden’s long road to recovery, the decision by Worksafe not to pursue the Show or Chant was a terrible blow to her family, which was notified of the decision by letter and said Worksafe interviewed none of them.
In July last year, the family’s lawyer Sharlene Mehta told Daily Mail the Roddens were still in the dark as to what Worksafe actually considered when coming to its conclusion.
Chant Entertainment’s Rebel Coaster ride struck 26-year-old Shylah Rodden (above) as she walked through fencing and onto the tracks to retrieve her phone on September 25, 2022
Shylah Rodden suffered a brain injury when struck by the 70kph rollercoaster, leaving her permanently affected and still bravely recovering years later
Ms Mehta said while the incident had far-reaching impacts on Ms Rodden, her hopes for the future remained positive.
‘Whilst her recovery has been miraculous, Shylah’s injuries will carry lifelong impacts,’ she stated.
A WorkSafe inspection concluded that the Rebel Coaster was ‘safe’ to re-open just days after the accident.
In 2024, a Show spokeswoman, who asked not to be named, defended its safety procedures at the time of the incident.
‘The safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority,’ she said in a statement at the time.
‘Strict safety protocols are upheld in line with Victorian WorkSafe regulations. All rides on site have undergone stringent compliance inspections and have passed all the required safety documentation.’
