Family of woman who was hospitalized after object fell from Top Thrill Dragster releases statement

SANDUSKY – The family of the woman who was hospitalized after a metal object that fell off the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point says that the woman “is fighting for her life.”

Ohio Department of Agriculture says that, on August 15, 44-year-old Rachel Hawes of Swartz Creek, MI was injured when a piece of metal dislodged from the ride and hit her in the head.

In a statement, Hawes family said, “We are devastated by last weekend’s accident at Cedar Point. We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time. Rachel is fighting for her life, and we would ask for privacy in this difficult time.”

Cedar Point announced on Thursday that the Top Thrill Dragster will be closed for the remainder of the 2021 season. The ride has been closed since the day of the incident.

The Top Thrill Dragster has had two other incidents where people were injured. The first one was in 2004, when four people were struck by flying debris while on the ride. In the first incident, all four were treated by first aid and two of them sought further medical attention. The second was in 2016, when the launch cable detached from the ride. In the second incident, two people were treated by first aid for minor injuries.