Cedar Point injury caused by flying cell phone, Michigan man warns

Jul 21, 2023

A Cedar Point season-pass holder from metro Detroit said he was hit in the head Saturday by a loose iPhone while riding the Maverick roller coaster. The impact caused him to start bleeding and led to a diagnosis of a concussion the next day.

"I had blood dripping down my face, and I felt a bit dizzy," David Carter, a paramedic in his 20s, told the Free Press.

Carter, who also wrote about his injury on social media, said the mobile phone flew out of a the pocket of a boy riding ahead of him. The boy's mother, he said, also lost her phone, which fell into water below, during the ride. In a twist, Carter said, he worked at Cedar Point about a decade ago, operating the Maverick ride.

Cedar Point confirmed Monday a guest riding Maverick was struck by a cell phone that fell out of another guest's pocket during the ride. The guest, the park said, was treated by the first aid team and released, and did not request additional assistance.

In general, the park said, loose items are required to be secured or left with a non-rider. Rides that do not allow any loose articles are Valravn, GateKeeper, Rougarou, Magnum XL-200, Steel Vengeance and Millennium Force. Most other roller coasters have storage bins for loose articles.

Carter, however, said he was disappointed by the Ohio amusement park's response.

After demanding to speak with supervisors, he said on-site medics looked at Carter's wound and cleaned up the blood at the park's first aid department. He went to the hospital Sunday morning, where he was diagnosed with intermittent headaches and a concussion.

Cedar Point, he said, reimbursed him for his Fast Pass and offered him free meals for the rest of the day. However, he added, the incident took place at 6:35 p.m. and he did not leave the park's first aid department until 8:30 p.m. Carter only received one free meal before the park closed for the day.

Carter said he is considering whether to taking legal action against Cedar Point or the family who dropped the phone, and has consulted with lawyers to determine what his options are. He plans on sending Cedar Point his medical bill, as well as requesting compensation having to take time off from work as a result of his concussion, which his doctor recommended.

Carter said the incident "could have ended much worse," and Cedar Point's reaction left "a lot to be desired," but he was posting about what happened to social media to warn others how dangerous unsecured objects on rides could be — which is a somewhat common problem, based on industry and news reports.

Cedar Point describes the Maverick as acting "more like a bucking bronco than a coaster." It opened in 2007 and has twists, corkscrews, launches, tunnels, and "plenty of airtime." It has top speeds of 70 mph and has a vertical, 95-degree drop.

More:Man accused of touching girls at Michigan's Adventure amusement park

More:Michigan woman seriously injured in Top Thrill Dragster accident sues Cedar Point

Carter's injury follows a lawsuit filed in Erie County Common Pleas Courthouse in Ohio earlier this month by Rachel Hawes, of Swartz Creek, a then 44-year-old woman who also was struck in the head in 2021, while waiting in line with her husband and father, who lives in Nebraska, to get on the 420-foot tall Top Thrill Dragster.

The Dragster, which was one of the world's tallest thrill rides, was shut down and retired.

However, Cedar Point confirmed to the Free Press it is still retooling the ride and expects it to reopen next year.

Hawes is alleging the park's negligence caused the accident, which left her with a traumatic brain injury, skull fracture and other injuries and is seeking damages. The lawsuit claims that the part fell because there were loose bolts and the ride was not properly inspected.

Her medical expenses, so far, she said in the suit, are more than $2 million, and future care costs are expected to exceed more than $10 million. When she was injured, she was in graduate school, studying to become a teacher, but is now "permanently disabled" and will no longer be able to earn a living as an educator.

A state investigation concluded last year, however, found no evidence that Cedar Point acted illegally or had reason to believe the ride was unsafe, the Associated Press reported. The report also said there was no evidence the ride was unsafe before an object flew off it and struck a woman in the head.

Contact Nour Rahal: [email protected]. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or [email protected].