The Roller Coaster is a wooden roller coaster located at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah. Built in 1921 and operating ever since, the Roller Coaster is the seventh oldest in the world, the fourth oldest in the United States, and the oldest at Lagoon.[1]
History
The Roller Coaster was designed by John A. Miller and opened in 1921. In 1953, a fire that spread across the west side of the Midway damaged the coaster, meaning the station and lift hill had to be rebuilt.[2] Over the years it has received computer upgrades and new trains. In 2005, it became an American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) Roller Coaster Landmark. In October 2012, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Roller Coaster starts with a turn out of the station where it enters the lift hill. The train rises 60 feet (18 m), and then plunges down the first hill, and up the next and down again around the west turn, into several more series of hills which gradually get smaller. It goes through two more turns before returning to the station.
Incidents
In 1934, 20-year-old Henry Howe of Ogden, Utah fell to his death as he attempted to stand up when the train was on its highest hill. Howe hit a number of support trestles on the way down.
In 1946, James Young Hess was struck by the train as he was working on scaffolding on the ride. Hess suffered skull, leg and arm fractures, as well as internal injuries, before dying on September 1, 1946.[3]
In 1989, a 13-year-old girl slipped out from under the restraint and fell 35 feet to her death. She died at the scene.[4] Lagoon made safety adjustments to the trains before reopening the ride, and new restraints were added the following year.
^Rosebrock, Don (June 29, 1989). "Roller coaster death called a fluke a quirk of physics, teen's physique and her actions, detective says". Deseret News.
