Amusement Park Disasters: Independent Parks

Summary

Morbid Podcast: "Amusement Park Disasters: Independent Parks"

Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Air Date: February 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this true crime-meets-history episode, Ash and Alaina take “weirdos” on a wild ride through the history of independent amusement parks—highlighting their evolution into the thrill-seeking destinations we know today, and the chilling disasters that have marked these fun factories along the way. With a generous dose of dark humor and empathy, the hosts explore notorious accidents, the lack of safety standards in the early days, and the human stories behind catastrophic roller coaster crashes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Strange Origins of Amusement Parks

[07:19 – 12:45]

• People have sought communal entertainment for centuries, with early examples seen in the 14th century in Denmark and the “pleasure gardens” of 19th-century London.
• Pleasure Gardens: Far from today's family amusement parks, pleasure gardens were places where social norms could be relaxed, sometimes verged into hedonism, and even included “dark walks” led by masked performers and, at night, sex workers ([09:13]).
• Notable Quote:
  “They captivated the public with their heady mix of culture, fashion, and vice.” — Ash quoting Kath Pound, [09:14]

2. From Boardwalks and Fairs to Modern Theme Parks

[12:45 – 14:35]

• The transition from pleasure gardens to amusement parks included the rise of boardwalks like Coney Island, featuring games and freak shows.
• Mechanical rides—carousels, Ferris wheels, and roller coasters—replaced animal shows, becoming the signature attractions.
• The first U.S. theme park was Santa Claus Land, Indiana, opened in 1946, even inspiring Disney ([13:46]).
• Notable Moment: Ash’s sheer surprise at Santa Claus Land’s existence — “Wait, that’s actually iconic!” ([13:48])

3. The Dark Underside: Safety and Disasters Begin

[14:18 – 16:38]

• With popularity came an inevitable rise in accidents. Early safety standards were practically nonexistent.
• Mechanical rides were inspected by officials with little knowledge of ride engineering ([15:29]).
• Notable Quote:
  “Imagine you get on the ride and ask, and they're like…generally it’s considered safe.” — Alaina, [14:47]

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4. ACCIDENTS & INFAMY: The Derby Racer (Revere Beach, MA)

[16:02 – 25:31]

The Disaster Timeline

• 1911: Pfc. Arthur Lamar was thrown from the wooden coaster and suffered severe injuries but survived.
• A month later: Oscar Young (ride manager), thrown from the coaster while trying to warn riders, suffered devastating injuries and died. Two women nearly jumped from the car in panic ([17:40]).
• Multiple accidents in rapid succession (broken limbs, deaths), but the ride was only closed for two weeks ([18:55]).
• Safety “improvements”: A leather harness and safety bar were added—but still inadequate; more accidents occurred, including severe injuries to Jan Clark in 1929 ([24:20]).
• The coaster was ultimately shut down in 1936 after a lawsuit forced operators to pay damages.

Notable Quotes:

• “So the seat belt was just like...nah, it didn’t do a lot.” — Ash, [25:07]
• “I feel like you guys could have figured that out before this happened.” — Alaina, [38:53]

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5. The Big Dipper Catastrophes

a. Krug Park, Omaha, NE (1930)

[25:50 – 44:39]

• 23 people boarded the Big Dipper. A simple bolt on the tracks caused the coaster to jump the guardrail.
• The front car dangled before plummeting 30 feet, dragging other cars with it. Several were killed and many others suffered life-altering injuries—including scalping, amputations, and psychological trauma ([31:34]).
• Despite the carnage, the park continued operating that night until city officials forced closure.
• Lawsuits followed, but insurance payouts were meager or lost in bank failures; the park suffered fires, robberies, and closed in 1939.

Memorable Quotes:

• “To be scalped by a roller coaster crash...is unthinkable.” — Alaina, [31:43]
• “After this accident, I wouldn’t permit another roller coaster to be built of steel. If a loose nut can throw the whole tracks off course, we’re not going to have any more roller coasters.” — City Safety Commissioner John Hopkins, [39:00]

b. Battersea Fun Fair, London (1972)

[45:19 – 53:09]

• Teen Liz Hay Grieve and friend Allison rode the Big Dipper for Liz’s 15th birthday. The cable hauling the train broke, and the train rolled backward at high speed.
• Brakeman’s desperate attempts to slow it failed. The cars crashed, ejecting and trapping riders. Allison died weeks later; five children died in total, and over a dozen more were injured.
• Investigators found dozens of easily fixable safety violations. The manager and engineer were acquitted; though the ride briefly reopened, its reputation was destroyed and it shut down permanently in 1974.

Memorable Quotes & Moments:

• “As soon as we started shooting backwards, everything went into slow motion. I turned around and saw the brakeman desperately trying to put the brake on, but it wasn’t working.” — Survivor Carolyn Adamzick, [46:47]
• “The Big Dipper was, quote, quite literally a death trap.” — Prosecuting attorney Henry Ponhill, [52:28]
• Liz Haig Grieve, reflecting:
  “I always think about Allison and about the randomness of how it’s one person and not another, and that’s just horrible. It’s really easy to take life for granted…but it’s a little nudge in the ribs that says it’s not like this for everyone.” ([53:09])

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6. Reflection & Takeaways

[53:33 – 54:22]

• Ash and Alaina maintain their signature blend of compassion and humor—emphasizing humanity seen in bystanders and indicating how such tragedies, while rare, underscore life’s randomness.
• They stress that learning about these disasters doesn’t mean avoiding fun:
  • “I’m not advocating for people to stop living their lives and stop doing these fun things…it’s like hearing about a plane crash. Just be informed.” — Ash, [37:21]
  • “That's a reminder, like, that life is literally so fragile…It’s a good little nudge in the ribs.” — Alaina, [53:46]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “The world is probably burning a little bit…fire is cleansing, and we’re going to start anew. With way less pedophiles and way more chill motherfuckers who want to protect kids.” — Ash & Alaina, [04:13]
• “What ripped for him and for us is that it's fucking Friday the 13th.” [03:08]
• “Not pleasure gardens. I feel like they should have workshopped that one.” — Alaina, [08:44]
• “There's one foolproof way to tell your ride isn't operating as sound as a dollar—when it crumbles to the ground and a girl gets scalped.” — Ash, [36:03]
• "As soon as she left, [Doug Bradley] just started naming...Did you know a group of pandas is called an embarrassment?" — Ash, [56:35]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [07:19] – The pleasure gardens and early amusement park history
• [16:02] – Derby Racer crashes begin
• [25:50] – Krug Park/Big Dipper disaster
• [45:19] – Battersea Fun Fair, London (Big Dipper catastrophe)
• [53:33] – Reflection and listener takeaways
• [55:10] – Fun fact segment (pandas and pugs naming, Doug Bradley anecdote)

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Tone and Style

• True to Morbid's DNA, the episode balances heavy research with irreverent banter and dark humor; Ash is openly wary of amusement parks, while Alaina is more upbeat but equally horrified by some events.
• Both hosts consistently bring empathy to victim stories and highlight human moments—whether in survivors, rescuers, or friends.

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Fun Fact Moment

• A group of pandas is called an embarrassment; a group of pugs, a grumble ([55:21]).
• Anecdote about Doug Bradley (Pinhead from Hellraiser) sharing animal group trivia during lunch in Salem ([56:08]).

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Listener Advice

• The hosts advise listeners to be cautious but not unduly fearful:
  “Go to amusement parks, have your fun…just look at the tracks. Be aware, that’s all.” ([57:42])
• They reinforce that knowledge is empowering, not paralyzing.

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Closing

This episode is a true “lighthearted nightmare”—offering history, humor, and haunting reminders of the importance of safety and the fragile line between fun and disaster.

Transcript

[A]

On February 25, ID presents Lost Women of Alaska from executive producer Octavia Spencer. This new documentary event investigates the brutal murder of two Alaska native women and the twisted predator who turned their community into his personal hunting ground. The courageous voices of unlikely heroes lead authorities to the sadistic killer, but his arrest is only the beginning of a far deeper horror. The new documentary event, lost Women of Alaska, premieres February 25th on ID or stream on HBO.

[B]

Max.

[A]

From Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring academy award nominee Jesse Buckley and academy award winner Christian Bale comes the Bride. A lonely Frankenstein played by Christian bale travels to 1930 Chicago to ask a groundbreaking scientist to help him revive a murdered young woman played by Jessie Buckley. And the bride is born on March 6th. Don't miss the Bride. Starring Jesse Buckley, Christian Bale and Peter Sarsgaard. With Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal and Penelope Cruz. The bride in theaters March 6. Rated R under 17. Not permitted without parent. This episode is brought to you by Kleenex lotion tissues. Cold season shows up like one of those mysteries that always keeps you guessing. Luckily, you can be prepared with Kleenex lotion tissues that protect, soothe and moisturize your skin when you need it most. Keep them close wherever your day takes you. Whether you're unraveling a mystery or facing a sniffle, Kleenex lotion tissues with coconut oil and aloe are the little comfort that goes a long way during cold and flu season. For whatever happens next, grab Kleenex.

[B]

Hey, weirdos. I'm Ash. And I'm Elena.

[C]

And you're listening to Morbid.

[B]

Whoa. You are.

[C]

I changed it up. Good morning, good afternoon, good night. Could be driving.

[B]

Goodmorrow.

[C]

Of course, you could be driving to work. Home from work, picking up your kid.

[B]

Doing laundry, going to sleep, just chilling.

[C]

Kicking your nose. Yeah, farting.

[B]

I hope you're doing all those things simultaneously.

[C]

Driving to and from work at the same time is while picking up your kid. Yeah, you sounded like. I sounded like jous.

[B]

You did.

[C]

No one really rips driving to and from work, bro.

[B]

Honestly, if you're not listening to Josh, Josh, it's Jay J. A w S H on tick tock and Instagram, I think you can find. But we love Josh.

[C]

We love Josh.

[B]

We love Josh. We love his hottest homie.

[C]

We changed our husband's contacts to my.

[B]

Hottest homie because of Josh.

[C]

Because of Josh.

[B]

He's. He's delightful. I love him.

[C]

And he will tell you what really rips.

[B]

Yeah, he's just literally the most positive person. And he's always just telling you what rips in life's. So if you're looking for something that just rips and to. He will show you to romanticize the small room moments of life. Truly. He's doing nothing. But.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

He everything rips today.

[C]

What ripped for him and for us is that it's fucking Friday the 13th.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Hell, yeah.

[B]

Hell, yeah.

[A]

And then tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What a fucking weekend we have ahead of us.

[B]

What a one, two punch.

[A]

I'm going to see Chicago this weekend.

[B]

That's fun.

[C]

And I'm going to lose my head.

[B]

I'm going to lose my head.

[C]

I'm going to lose my head. I've never seen Chicago.

[A]

First of all.

[B]

That's gonna be great.

[C]

And I'm going to see Whitney from Secret Lives and Mormon Wives.

[A]

She's playing Roxy. And I'm so fucking excited.

[B]

I'm excited for you.

[C]

Thank you. What are you doing this weekend?

[B]

Going to the science museum in Boston with the kids.

[A]

That's the most us thing ever.

[C]

I'm like, I'm going to New York City for the weekend. And you're like, I'm going to the.

[A]

Science museum with my children.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

This will come out after.

[C]

So don't worry.

[B]

Nobody will.

[C]

Nobody will find us.

[B]

Nobody will find us.

[C]

You never know.

[B]

You never want to say your location right when you're there.

[C]

No. That's what we are here to teach you.

[B]

Yeah. Little tip from me to you.

[C]

I don't post about shit until after I finished it.

[B]

Yep. And you should. To all of you listening. Yep. Because the world is really fudgeing. Crazy. Yeah. Right now it's.

[C]

The world is probably burning a little bit.

[B]

Yeah. I think it's what I am hoping.

[A]

We're going to rise from the ashes.

[B]

Yeah. Like, I hope it's burning because fire is cleansing. Agree. And we're going to start anew.

[C]

I love it.

[B]

I think we're going to burn it all down. And we're going to start with way less pedophiles.

[C]

That'd be dope.

[B]

And way more chill motherfuckers who want to protect kids and don't want to be shitheads to each other. And hateful and divisive.

[A]

Those are my top.

[C]

That's two things that I want in the new life.

[B]

Yeah. That's all I'm looking for.

[C]

This new world.

[B]

Those are my New Year's resolutions.

[C]

I hope that the system does, in fact, crash.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That there's less pedophiles and more cool people who Want to protect kids. Yep, that's it.

[B]

That should afford that. It's so simple that, honestly, that should be. And I know that people are. There's gonna be people that are angry at us for saying that, but I can't fathom how you can find something wrong.

[C]

The system to burn right now. It's been a place since 1776.

[B]

No. How could you want less pedophiles? Like, that's. I, That's. That's something we should all be able to agree on. I think that's the least controversial thing I have ever said in my life, is we should have less pedophiles.

[C]

Somehow people will find controversy.

[B]

But here's the thing. Our listeners.

[A]

No, our listeners.

[B]

No, they're not gonna. You guys aren't gonna find.

[C]

It's the bots.

[B]

The boss. Yeah, for sure, you know.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

But you guys listening? You're. You're. You get it.

[A]

I'm probably not the first person to ever say this, but, God, I hope I am.

[C]

It's the bots and the ops.

[B]

There you go. That came to me. That came.

[C]

That came to me up here in this noggin.

[B]

Well, you know what? Tell me in the. In the spirit of being crazy, being kooky, let's talk about amusement park disasters.

[C]

You're going to ruin my fucking life like that. You would.

[B]

This. Honestly, you would ruin my life. My idea. Dave, Our beloved Dave. Beloved David had this idea and I said, hell yeah, brother.

[C]

It's a great idea. Yeah, except I. Fuck.

[A]

Here's the thing about this show.

[C]

One of us sitting on one of these couches despises amusement parks with her entire.

[B]

I bet you can't decide.

[C]

The other one of us would literally go to an amusement park every day to be amused.

[B]

That sounds horrible.

[C]

Wow. So you really let them in on that? We didn't even give that one second to last.

[B]

I mean, I think people. No, I know. I'm kidding. People know by now we're going to be talking. Well, we have two of these. But today we're going to be talking about independent parks, okay? So we're not going to be talking.

[C]

About, you know, the big ones, the biggies, my faves.

[B]

We're going to be talking about some independent parks. And this is all just things that happened. Like, this isn't, you know, us having opinions on, like, how they're run or anything like that. I don't even know how they're run. These are just things that have happened that have been reported on. And let's. Let's let's start in the way back, shall we? So this first one, I'm going to do my absolute best to not butcher the pronunciation. But when we get there, we get there and we're going to see what we do. Okay. We're going to see how we handle it. Okay. So as early as the 14th century, people.

[C]

That's a long ass time.

[B]

Long time. People have always loved to attend like big gatherings with other people. They love to combine those gatherings with music, food, performances, culture, explicitly for the sake of entertainment and enjoyment. We've all needed that forever.

[C]

I love entertainment and enjoyment.

[B]

For example in. And here I go with this pronunciation.

[C]

I believe in you.

[B]

Lingbu Tarbeck.

[A]

Not sure.

[B]

Denmark. And this is in a place called. Here comes another one.

[C]

Oh, there's more.

[B]

Here comes another one. Hold on. Dire haves vaccine. Dire havs vacan in Denmark.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

That translates direhavs back in translates to Animal Park Hill.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

It has been entertaining guests for nearly 450 years initially. That's insane. Long time. Initially with clowns and animal shows and music, then with mechanical rides and eventually with modern thrill rides and roller coasters commonly associated with like modern day amusement parks that we think of. And while it's fair to say that like amusement parks that we think of now, like modern ones of the last century or so can trace at least some of their roots to like fairs and carnivals of like the Middle Ages, their real point of origin can be found in the mid 19th century quote unquote pleasure gardens of London.

[C]

Not pleasure gardens. Not pleasure gardens. I feel like they should have workshopped that one.

[B]

So these are, these are not like the sprawling parks filled with mechanical rides that we are thinking of. What happens at a pleasure garden pleasure gardens provide. And here's the thing. There's like a, there's a, there's a, there's a lead from these to the modern day parks that we're thinking of. But obviously there was a branch off of who they were catering to and what they were catering. But the same idea was there of like being a place that is purely for amusement.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

What amusement it is. Pleasure gardens are for something different. They provided a similar kind of escapism through fantasy entertainment and commercialism that would eventually be the, the amusement parks we know now. According to British journalist Kath Pound, the pleasure gardens offered, quote, an environment in which societal norms could be cast aside if only for a few hours. They captivated the public with their heady mix of culture, fashion and vice.

[C]

Yeah, that's why I'm wearing Disney ears. Mickey ears.

[B]

So I think you could also. You could also argue that this is kind of like Renaissance fairs. Yeah, like that kind of thing, you know? Now, during the day, the gardens resembled casual, albeit like more fantastical types of social experiences one might find at a fair.

[A]

Okay, that's fun.

[B]

But the real thrills came later in the day when the parks began their, quote, dark walks. These would be led by masked performers whose identities, gender, and perhaps even intentions were unknown to patrons.

[C]

You had me up until intentions. You had me until intentions. One thing about me is I want to know how a motherfucker's intention.

[B]

This is so interesting. So these dark walks were tours that began in, like, well lit areas of the park and eventually made their way into the deliberately unlit areas of the garden.

[C]

This is fucked up.

[B]

And as the light began to fade, the whimsical and colorful garden gave way to more hedonistic activities. Bitch. What? As sex workers would emerge to offer their services in dark corners of the garden.

[C]

Okay, that's a fun intention.

[B]

So the theater I'm not right with. Historian Jonathan Conlon said there wasn't necessarily a clear division between light walks and dark walks. It was a question of how far you are prepared to go. Oh, okay. All of this is so, like, just. It's so fascinating to me that it is like a dark walk Sounds so terrifying.

[C]

It does. But then sexy people come out.

[B]

Yeah. So the real purpose of the pleasure garden and its whimsical tone remain the same as modern day parks. Like the tone of everything, especially during the day. Rather than simply offering an opportunity for hedonistic pleasure, the garden's true purpose was to break down these, like, rigid social and class barriers of the day that were honestly, like, dictating public life at the time and give the people of London a place to play, engage in fantasy together without the stigmas of the outside world kind of bogging them down.

[C]

It was a place to vibe.

[B]

And the result, or at least the result that was intended, was increased social cohesion that minimized conflict, which is nice. Everybody got together, enjoy some shit together, come together. It doesn't hurt anybody. A more contemporary example of these. These opportunities for, like, blowing off steam are things like professional sports, a shared act, interest, and activity that kind of transcends what would be, like, pretty restrictive social constructs like race and class. Like, it's these all kind of. When you really look at them that way, you're like, these are much more, like, tightly held together and, like, woven together. And then you would think yeah, you're right. Just on the outside. Agreed. Now, eventually, the explicit hedonism of the pleasure gardens gave way to the more commercially oriented boardwalks in places like Coney Island, New York and Santa Barbara, California. Beginning in the late 1800s, places like Coney island offered games, performances, and what were then known as freak shows, in which real and manufactured medical anomalies were put on display for entertainment and amusement.

[C]

I've seen ahs.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. By the end of the decade, the mechanical and technological inventions that were unveiled at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, where H.H. holmes was busy.

[C]

H.H. holmes.

[B]

They had begun to make their way onto the boardwalks and small amusement parks around the world. These mechanized rides quickly replaced the animal shows with carousels, Ferris wheels and roller coasters. And that's when the amusement park thrill rides were born.

[C]

Let's fucking go.

[B]

So by the earliest 20th century, entrepreneurs in North America and Europe started building parks around the mechanical rides that drew from the boardwalks and pleasure gardens of the past, including vendors, fantasy inspired landscapes, and even mascots. In the early 1940s, Indiana businessman Louis Louis Koch developed 260 acres of land in Santa Claus, Indiana into Santa Claus Land.

[A]

Fun.

[B]

That was the nation's first theme park.

[C]

Wait, that's actually iconic.

[B]

Isn't that crazy? Santa Claus? Yeah, I'm obsessed. Opening in 1946, Santa Claus Land offered a, quote, dreamy alpine village with a toy shop, rides designed just for children, and daily appearances from Santa himself. Y', all, let's go.

[C]

That sounds fun.

[A]

Fun, yeah.

[B]

Santa Claus Land would go on to inspire other entrepreneurs to develop their own properties, including Walt Disney, whose own Disneyland opened in 1955, modeled in part by Santa Claus Land.

[C]

I didn't know that.

[B]

Unfortunately, an increase in popularity meant an increase in patrons. And with each new person that arrived and each new day that passed, the more likely it became that something could go wrong.

[C]

Yeah, of course.

[B]

Because we're not just going to talk about how great amusement parks are and how they became a thing.

[C]

No, it's called morbid.

[B]

So although the rides were generally considered safe.

[C]

I can't, like 1940s, 1950s, I'm like.

[B]

Oh, generally they're considered safe.

[C]

Imagine you get on the ride and like, you ask and they're like, yeah, generally.

[B]

Generally it feels like this might be safe. Not going to go on this. Yeah. When it comes to something like amusement park safety, the likelihood of an accident is a matter of probability.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

To be quite honest, in simple terms, each time a Ferris wheel was put into motion. The worn. The more worn the mechanics became. Therefore, the more times a person wrote a ferris wheel wheel, the more safely the more likely it was that they were going to experience a problem. Yeah, the more safe rides equal. We're, we're creeping up, we're counting down until an unfortunate here. So that's actually a horrible way to think about that. It really is.

[C]

I want to be the person that.

[A]

Goes on the ride like two times.

[B]

After the bad thing. Yeah, there you go.

[C]

I'm sorry.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

I'm sorry.

[B]

So that fact was further complicated by the fact that in the case of early amusement parks, rides were typically permitted and expected by the same people who gave out licenses for the other park vendors. That's to say that these individuals rarely understood how the rides worked, Much less whether they were safe.

[C]

That's really awesome.

[B]

So that led to some problems.

[C]

Yeah, I bet.

[B]

In 1911, on the Revere beach boardwalk, just a few miles outside of Boston, Manufacturer Fred Pierce built an early wooden coaster named the derby racer.

[C]

See me, I don't fucks with wooden coasters.

[B]

And remember, this is before, like the Santa claus land of 1940. Whatever. Yeah, yeah. Among the largest roller coasters of the day, the derby racer was a standard two track coaster where two passenger cars would, quote, unquote, race one another side by side. Within just a couple months of being built, the derby racer experienced its first accident. Ordor. That's when Pfc. Arthur Lamar, a sailor on the battleship new Jersey, was thrown from one of the coaster cars, Quote, traveling at a speed equaling that of a fast express train.

[C]

Oh, fuck.

[B]

Although the specifics of how exactly Lamar was thrown from the car, his body hit the structural beams of the coaster with, quote, terrific force, fracturing his skull, breaking his arm and causing severe internal injuries. Yeah. He was rushed to frost hospital in nearby Chelsea. And while he did survive the accident, he was left with lifelong problems as a result.

[C]

A fractured skull. Will you right up.

[B]

Just a month later, another accident occurred on the derby race when Oscar Young, the assistant manager of the ride, was thrown from one of the cars. At the time, Young had been accompanying a group of young women on the ride. And according to a press report, at one point the group, quote, were making so much noise and moving about so actively that young feared for their safety. As they approached a sharp curve in the track, he turned around to remind the young women of the safety protocols. But just as he turned, the car lurched slightly to the side and he was thrown from the ride head first.

[C]

Oh, fuck.

[B]

Understandably, the party of Young women, quote, became panic stricken and two of the passengers had to be physically prevented from jumping out of the car in terror. According to the press, quote, the wild screams of the passengers during the rest of the ride. Because they had to finish the ride.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

To the terminal. Were heard for half a mile and caused intense excitement among the throngs on the beach.

[C]

Oh, that's horrifying.

[B]

Once the cars came to a stop, attendants were able to reach Oscar and move his body to the office terminal where he was attended by a local doctor until an ambulance was able to get there an hour later.

[C]

Jesus Christ.

[B]

Young was taken to Frost hospital where they determined both legs were broken one so badly it had to be amputated immediately.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

And he'd suffered severe internal injuries as well as cuts and lacerations and bruises to his abdomen. Unfortunately, it does appear that he didn't survive his injuries. Oh, that's so sad. In the two months both of your.

[C]

Legs broken and one so badly that.

[B]

It needed immediately amputated. Immediate amputation. That's nuts. In the two months that it had been in operation, there had been multiple problems with the derby racer that should have warranted some investigation, including the death of Oscar Young, the injuries to Lamar and other passengers, one of which who broke an arm a week before Young's accident. Oh, wow.

[C]

So it was more than just that.

[B]

Yeah, those were just the two most egregious. But the Revere board of selectmen voted to shut down the coaster for just two weeks before giving them the go ahead to reopen it after the coaster was examined.

[C]

Did they fix anything?

[B]

Two weeks? They were like, seems good to me.

[C]

I'm like, I don't know. I think you should put some mechanisms in place to, like, make it so.

[B]

People stop flying off. Foreign.

[A]

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[C]

So if you like forget to arm.

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

Whatever repairs were made to the Derby racer do appear to have made it a little safer for riders. But a decade later, the ride's operators found themselves in trouble again.

[A]

Hey, a decade is pretty solid.

[B]

Yes, but I guess so. After two passengers were injured on the Derby racer on the afternoon of September 10, 1922, 25 year old Frank Francis and his friend Joseph Jason.

[C]

FF&JJ.

[B]

FF&JJ obsessed and like last name Francis. Last name Jason. Like what a weird thing that is weird.

[C]

Like first name, last names.

[B]

They visited the Revere beach boardwalk and Francis decided he wanted to start their day at the beach with a ride on the Derby coaster. But his friend opted to watch from the platform. Oh fuck. The ride was well underway when for reasons unknown, it came to a lurching halt and Francis and the passenger where that he was sharing the car with were thrown from the ride and fell about six feet to the ground below. Fortunately, the young woman with that Frank was riding with was largely unhurt. Frank himself though sustained severe lacerations to one side of his body and serious internal injuries. So he survived his injuries. But less than a year later, 23 year old Alice Bluein and her boyfriend Leland back were thrown from the Derby racer pretty much under similar circumstances. Alice suffered a fractured skull and back was badly cut and bruised, but otherwise was okay. In the years that followed that, the operators installed a leather harness to each car as well as a safety bar that riders could grab hold of.

[C]

I'm sorry, what was there before?

[B]

Nothing.

[C]

They're like, hey, I think a bar could like push, stop, keep them in there.

[B]

Also a leather harness. They're like what do you guys think about a seat belt?

[C]

Like, Jesus.

[B]

Then again, it's like people were just like plopping newborns in the back of their seat.

[C]

Seriously? Well, I mean this was what like around like the early to mid-1900s.

[B]

This is like. Well this is in the late twenties.

[C]

Yeah, that's nuts.

[B]

Yeah, these safety measures like definitely lowered the risk level, but not entirely. In late May 192927 year old Jan Clark was thrown from his car when the leather belt quote seemed to slide through his hands. And he was thrown from the car and suffered severe cuts all over his body.

[C]

So the seat belt was just like.

[B]

Nah, it didn't do a lot. The accident in 1929 resulted in a lawsuit that made its way to the state Supreme Court in 1935.

[C]

Surprised it took that long for a lawsuit.

[B]

Yeah. And the court ruled against the ride operators, Ocean View Amusements, who were required to pay a big penalty.

[C]

Yeah, I would think.

[B]

The next year the derby racer was shut down for good and a new coaster was built on the site in 1937. Really?

[C]

I feel like even building a new coaster on that site is a bad omen, I feel.

[B]

Yeah. So all of the accidents on the derby racer and coasters like it just highlighted the fact that if nothing else, additional safety measures were necessary to ensure that riders lived through the ride.

[C]

Yes, important.

[B]

That said, 20 years after the first death on the derby racer, another accident occurred that called into question the safety of roller coasters. Coasters altogether. The afternoon of July 24, 1930. It was like any other summer day at Omaha's Krug Park. All afternoon, tons of patrons lined up, one after another to ride the park's most popular attraction, which was of course, a large wooden roller coaster called the.

[C]

Big Dipper, not the wooden roller coasters.

[B]

Called the Big Dipper. Like many coasters around the country, the Big Dipper was routinely inspected by a city inspector who was more accustomed to inspecting buildings than amusement park rides.

[A]

A little different.

[B]

And he deemed it safe for public use. Looks good to me.

[C]

Alrighty.

[B]

He said, I don't know. It's not a building. I guess it's fine.

[C]

I don't know, it's standing.

[B]

He said, maybe you could live in it if it was stationary, I guess.

[C]

Maybe, maybe you could live in it.

[B]

I don't know. Despite that approval, however, just weeks earlier, one park worker predicted there would be, quote, a terrible accident on the coaster any day. Oh, he's a park worker. And he said it was due to its constant use but lack of regular maintenance. He was like, this is just, just gonna happen.

[C]

That's just kind of like common sense.

[B]

A little past 7:30 that night, 23 people boarded the train on Big Dipper, separated into four connected cars. As the train of cars began climbing the first 75 foot hill, the group of teenagers braced themselves for the anticipated rapid descent. Yeah. Unfortunately, none of them noticed the bolt sitting on the tracks several feet ahead of them. As the car began its rapid descents down the track, the first car hit the bolt, tearing loose the brake shoe and lifting the car off the rail, sending it through the guardrail and over the side of the coaster.

[C]

Holy shit.

[B]

For several seconds, the first car in the train hung over the edge of the coaster, threatening to fall any second.

[C]

Oh my God.

[B]

So 17 year old Walter Bazas said, I could see it happening before our car left the rails. That was the worst part of all. We knew we were going to be killed or badly injured and all we could do was sit there helplessly trusting in God.

[C]

I can't even think about that.

[B]

The first car plunged over the edge, slowly dragging the others with it, plunging 30ft to the ground below.

[C]

Holy God.

[B]

Walter Bazzus recalled. I was unable to move for a moment. So were the others. Seconds passed by in dead silence. Then somebody screamed and it seemed to awaken everybody to their danger. With just seconds to go before being dragged over the edge, several of the passengers desperately tried to free themselves from the seats. But being panicked and having no time to act, there was not a lot any of them could do. According to 16 year old antis Usdanis who was in one of the rear cars. They said as the first car went over people in the second, the other three screamed and muttered short prayers while tugging desperately at their safety belts. This is so scary. The first car hit the ground just seconds after it went over the edge with all the passengers still strapped into the wooden seats. Now it's very. And Dave found this. The first car was dubbed Fred and it was named after the former park manager friend Ingersoll, who killed himself a few years earlier.

[C]

Oh God.

[B]

And this car went plunging over the side.

[C]

Yeah, that's haunting.

[B]

Isn't that just like haunting?

[C]

Yeah, that is absolutely.

[B]

Now, since all the cars were connected, the second, third and fourth cars fell in quick succession. Fortunately, the cars landed in a U formation, with the first and fourth cars landing on the tracks and the second and third hitting the ground. Had they landed on top of one another, it would have been far more devastating than it already was. Which was devastating, yeah. Omaha firefighter Bren Meister was at the park that day and could see the rail infrastructure crumble as the train went over the edge. He told a reporter the cars dropped straight down on the east side of the structure. Some of them overturned and landed top down, with the passengers imprisoned by safety belts and unable to throw themselves free. To make matters worse, the weight of the cars hanging over the edge before they fell caused the scaffolding in the part of the coaster to tilt slightly.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

So ride operator Eugene Lewis said, I heard wood splintering and saw the first car going over the east. I jumped for the switch and shut the power off. I thought the other three cars would hold the first track car on the track. Unfortunately, when the cars went over, a considerable amount of debris from the crumbling track followed, landing on the victims below. Now, with the power switched off, the second train car, which was a ways behind the one that went over, was stopped entirely and rescuers were able to reach the passengers and get them all to safety. Other park workers in the area jumped into action with several running to call for emergency services and way more climbing or tearing down the fencing to get to the victims.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

Which is like a moment of humanity that I'm glad is in here.

[C]

That's rare to see.

[B]

The four passengers in the first car received the worst of the injuries, of course.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

As the first to hit the ground in a car that was overturned, C.H. stout, Ruth Farrell, Tony Politica and Gladys Lundgreen were all pinned under the car and trapped by rubble. Although two managed to survive the initial fall, they died later that afternoon from their injuries. The others were luckier and managed to survive with terrible injuries. Tony's 16 year old sister Mary, who was sitting in the car behind her brother, sustained a fractured skull and was scalped. Oh, my God. Because her head hit a piece of scaffolding on the way down.

[C]

Oh, my God. I don't think I'm ever riding a roller coaster again.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

To be scalped by a roller coaster crash.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Is unthinkable.

[B]

That's happened a few times. Don't you dare. That happened recently.

[C]

What?

[B]

Yeah. In fact, hold on, I'm going to look. She's doing cautionary tales. Yeah. It was in 2016. She was 11 years old. Oh. Where? King's Crown in Omaha, Nebraska. Also happened in the UK in 2025. 18 year old woman in a fun house ride.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Yeah. I feel like I'm gonna throw up. 20, 21 too. It happened. So many people scalped by. Yeah. And this is just, you know, I'm not trying to tell anybody what to do.

[C]

There she is.

[B]

Because again, like these, you know, they get checks. A thrill ride is a thrill ride. It's a thrill ride because you're out of control. It's just the way you're supposed to be thrilled. You are slowly supposed to be safe and thrilled.

[C]

But, you know, this would not thrill me.

[B]

This would not thrill me. And again this is the early days of, of thrill wraps.

[C]

You better keep it there, sister.

[B]

And obviously I've given you some modern examples of this, but, but like this.

[C]

I'm sorry, she's sorry, I'm sorry, she's sorry, she's sorry.

[B]

It's like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. So that's terrible. Walter Bassus, who we quoted before, suffered a broken collarbone.

[C]

Oh, that's so painful.

[B]

In addition to severe cuts and bruises to his face, 14 year old Robert Lindstrom, who was visiting the park with his family that day and riding in the third car, suffered a broken arm and surgeons had to amputate one of his fingers because the crush injuries were too impossible to repair. Wow. Other passengers managed to escape with relatively minor injuries. Like when considering, considering Walter Basis's brother, 20 year old Andrew, for example, had superficial cuts and bruises and a severe skin sunburn from laying trapped beneath the debris for an extended period of time while rescuers tended to the most hurt people.

[A]

You get through all of that and.

[B]

You get like severe burns.

[C]

That's horrific.

[B]

Even some who weren't on the ride that afternoon were not free of the harm of this tragic event. Upon seeing the cars go over the edge and plummet to the ground below, a 27 year old woman fainted and subsequently went into shock. Oh, wow. She was taken to the hospital along with the other victims and released several hours later. Similarly, sisters Leona And Mary Brundy, 12 and 10 years old, survived the accident with minor injuries. But later that night it was determined that the accident had been so psychologically traumatizing that both girls needed to be taken back to the hospital for treatment.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

That's.

[C]

Yeah, you can picture this in your head, but you can't imagine seeing this.

[A]

In person and what that would do to your brain.

[C]

Because you're not supposed to see people in real life in like these insanely violent situations.

[B]

And just seeing you can, you can picture it in your head, but it wouldn't be what you would actually, that's what I'm saying, you know what I mean?

[C]

Like you, you can't conceive of disaster in that way.

[B]

Yeah, it's like seeing like you think you could see it. Like you're like, oh, I've seen Final Destination, I've seen weird like that happen, but not in real life. A totally different thing. Yeah. Within two hours of the accident, it was that though nothing had happened, were it not for the mountain of debris and wreckage, one would assumed it was just another night at the park. Just kept on moving.

[C]

They didn't shut down the park.

[B]

Nope. According to one reporter, once the firefighters and ambulance were gone, quote, the concessionaries hawked their wares, sightseers took themselves to other rides, and the orchestra struck up.

[C]

It's like the Titanic.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Hello.

[B]

It was only after Omaha safety commissioner John Hopkins arrived a little before 11pm that the park was park shut down for the night. Are you kidding me?

[C]

That's nuts. How could you just be like, well.

[B]

Guess I'm gonna go on the Tilta World now?

[C]

Like, what do you know?

[B]

Like, what, the people just died. Upon viewing the scene at the park, several of the ride's usual attendants were baffled as to what the could have caused this accident. As Gene Lewis, who was a Big Dipper operator, said, as far as I know, it's still as sound as a dollar.

[C]

I don't think it is because there's a big crumbling mess where it was.

[B]

I have one foolproof way to tell that your ride is not operating as sound as a dollar. A girl was scalp when it crumbles to the ground. Yeah. And a girl. When somebody gets scalp. Like, are you.

[C]

That's fucking joking.

[B]

That'll tell you it's not running. Tip top. Wow. It was only after the debris had been cleared and the structure formally evaluated that they realized a bolt had come loose in the structure and fallen onto the tracks, which, to me, that's the scariest part about this, because how innocuous.

[C]

That's so innocuous.

[B]

Yeah. That could just happen.

[C]

Yeah, Easily like that.

[A]

Because a bolt is so small.

[B]

It's just human. Yeah, like, that's just human. I know, like, we can only tighten a bolt so much. I know they use, like, machines to do that now, but it's like, I don't know. Error happens. That just freaks me out.

[C]

Well, especially, like. And this is just my opinion, especially with a wooden coaster.

[B]

Oh, especially. Yeah.

[A]

There's.

[C]

There's too much at risk.

[B]

There's. And I know, like, that's just like, I'm always terrified of these kind of things because, like, as. Like, I'm sure that, like, there's a small subsection of listeners who are like, elena's the most paranoid person ever. How annoying.

[C]

I know. Sometimes it pays to be paranoid. Sometimes it pays to be paranoid. I'll still go on some rides, but, like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna check.

[B]

I'm gonna keep the. Keep your eyes open. You're gonna keep your eyes open. That's the thing. I'm not. I'm not advocating for people to like, just stop living their lives and stop doing these fun things, because this shit can happen.

[A]

Just be informed.

[B]

Just be informed of it, that's all. So you're a little more aware, maybe a little more be. Knowledge is indeed power.

[C]

Maybe don't do the wooden ones.

[B]

Yeah. And it's like, if you want, I just think you need to be. Be careful. And you just gotta again, have the knowledge going in so you can be.

[A]

Better prepared and listen to the safety protocol.

[B]

Enjoy your thrill rides.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

I mean, maybe if it's really gonna affect how you go about an amusement park ride, this isn't the episode for you. But just know that nobody's advocating for no amusement parks or rides here. Just make sure you're informed. I could never advocate for that. It's like hearing about a plane crash. Like, it's not that you shouldn't get on a plane ever again. It's just like you're informed now of what we're worth. The statistics. Exactly. But I just wanted to be clear about that, that I'm not being like, see, I told you that amusement parks are dumb. Like, this is just, just, you know, a little, little subsection of it. Yeah. So, yeah, they. They noticed the bolt. Had the entire structure been firm and sound, the guardrail probably could have withstood the impact, you would think, and kept the car from going over the edge. But when it was inspected after the accident, safety inspectors found that quote, For 20ft, the left rail was splintered and torn away. Part of the guardrail was so rotted it could be crumbled in their fingers.

[C]

See, I feel like you guys could have figured that out before this happened.

[B]

Absolutely. They should.

[C]

I feel like you should probably just check it every night.

[B]

Human error.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Now, at a press conference the next day, John Hopkins told reporters after this accident, I wouldn't permit another roller coaster to be built of steel. If a loose nut can throw the whole tracks off course, we're not going to have any more roller coasters.

[C]

Well, he was wrong.

[B]

He said that he. He's me.

[C]

Well, he was wrong.

[B]

He's like, you know what? Fuck this.

[C]

He's like, one time, no more.

[B]

Yeah, you know what?

[A]

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[B]

In fact, Hopkins and Omaha Mayor Richard Metcalf responded to the entire tragedy by swearing they would introduce city ordinances banning all roller coasters in Omaha. Wow. Which, like, I get why they went that hard.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

That was tragic. Yeah. And it, those were teenagers. A girl got scalped.

[C]

It affected so many people and so many people too, who weren't even on the ride.

[B]

Yeah. You know, it's like, you know. So within days of the accident, several lawsuits had been filed against the park by those.

[C]

Lawsuiting for days.

[B]

In one case, 20 year old Andrew Holman sued for $20,000, while 18 year old Joseph Zywick sued for $10,000. Several more suits were after that, and ultimately the park's $35,000 insurance policy was split up between many of the survivors. Two of the largest payouts went to 14 year old Helen Kazaji, $7,000, who lost an eye in the accident.

[C]

No, don't you dare.

[B]

And Mary Politica, $4,800 whose injuries were significant. Right. Tragically, Mary's payout was lost entirely just a few years later when the bank went under as a result of the.

[C]

Oh, that is such bullshit.

[B]

Now, after the accident, the Big Dipper was torn down entirely. And thanks to the ordinances put in place by Hopkins and Mayor Metcalfe, nothing was built in its place. The owners of Krug park spent years trying to get the ban lifted so they could rebuild their most popular attraction. Because it's all about that money, bitch. They don't care about human beings. Yeah. But luckily they were unsuccessful because it's.

[C]

Like, yeah, it's all about money, bitch. And they don't care about human beings. Like that's, that's their attitude. But it's like, you're gonna lose all your money.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Because your insurance, no insurance. Especially after your insurance payout was completely maxed out. No insurance company is gonna be like, yeah, let's do that again.

[B]

Let's give it another shot, guys. The park did struggle significantly in the years after that and had an unusual run of bad luck that included a massive fire and an armed robbery as well. Jeez. Finally, after the 1939 summer session, Krug park closed for good.

[C]

Yeah, sounds like that's probably good.

[B]

As the years passed, government officials, insurance companies, and park owners started taking the health and safety of patrons just a little more seriously.

[C]

Hey, that's nice.

[B]

They would put in place better safety measures. They just wanted to lower that risk. Yeah. You know, that said it was impossible to remove the risk entirely, and that's the problem. And it was only a matter of time before another disaster did occur. Probability. And in a rather dark coincidence, when the next major roller coaster catastrophe did finally happen, it was on a coaster called the Big Dipper. Shut up. So maybe don't go on a coaster called the Big Dipper, guys.

[C]

You heard it here first.

[B]

Yeah. On the morning of May 30, 1972, Liz Hay Grieve arrived at the Fun Fair, an amusement park in London's Battersea district. They were celebrating her 15th birthday. More than any other rides, Liz wanted to ride the Big Dipper. It was a large wooden roller coaster that was built at the park 20 years earlier. The coaster was the main attraction at the park and one of the biggest thrill rides in London. And although she'd ridden the coaster that day, she wanted to ride it again. Okay. Liz and her friend Alison Comerford waited in line for the Big Dipper. And when their turn came, they climbed into one of the cars near the back and buckled their seatbelts. As the train reached the first steep incline, Liz could hear the familiar sound of the struts clicking loudly below the car as the rope pulled the train up the hill. We've all heard that when they got to the top of the hill, the riders prepared themselves for that thrilling plunge. But then the train started to roll backwards. At first, Liz and Allison thought the ride's operator was just messing around, trying to add a little extra thrill. But when she saw the other people on the ride start to panic, Liz realized something was wrong. Oh, God. In reality, the train only took a few seconds to hurtle back to the bottom of the hill at high speed, Liz recalled. But it felt like a long time. And I had this logical thought process that we're just going to swing up the hill behind us and back again and eventually come to a stop. By the time I thought all that, we'd crashed through the bottom of it and were buried in debris.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Because it makes sense. Her thinking, yeah, well, we're just gonna go down, and then we're gonna swing back up, and it's gonna be like a metronome. And eventually Like a pendulum. Eventually we're gonna just. Just kind of stop, right? Nope. It crashed directly through the bottom. Way too. Going way too fast. They were going way too fast. Another passenger, Carolyn Adamzick, remembered the moment the car started going in the opposite direction. She said, as soon as we started shooting backwards, everything went into slow motion. I turned around and saw the brakeman desperately trying to put the brake on, but it wasn't working. Imagine seeing the man trying to pull the brake. No. Carolyn wasn't the only one who noticed the panic in that man's face. Thirteen year old Susan Smith said, I thought at first he was just trying to frighten us. Then it was his face. It was white and terrified. Oh, that poor guy too. Just trying his. Ugh. The car shot back down the hill at an unreasonable speed, and when it hit the first turn in the track, the first car shot straight through the guardrail and hung over the edge about 50ft above the ground.

[C]

Holy.

[B]

Carolyn's car was relatively undamaged, though they were in a very precarious position on an unstable part of the track. The girl next to her was screaming and trying to get out of the car, and when she leaned on the wooden barrier, it collapsed. Oh. Carolyn said, I tried to grab for her, but I saw her fall to the ground in front of me, 50ft in the air. Carolyn tried to calm everyone down and explain that they needed to be very still and she would get out of the car and walk down the tracks to get help.

[C]

Bad bitch alert.

[B]

So Carolyn tried to calm everyone down and explained that they needed to be very still and she would get out of the car and walk down the tracks to get help.

[C]

Which like always a woman.

[B]

Bad bitch. Who's like, on her.

[C]

It's always a woman saving the day.

[B]

She said, everyone shut up. We need to come.

[C]

Said, I got this.

[B]

She carefully climbed out of the car and slowly made her way to the edge of the tracks to find the safest route down. But as she started walking, she realized the tracks were slick with blood.

[C]

Oh, fuck.

[B]

This is awful. Liz Hay Grieve and Allison Comerford had been in the car that went over the edge and eventually plummeted to the tracks below, which were still 30ft off the ground. Miraculously, Allison was unharmed. And when she managed to pull herself out from under some of the debris, she started moving the larger pieces off the car in an effort to. To free Liz. When she finally removed all the debris, Liz was in tremendous pain from a broken arm and dislocated shoulder. Oh, God. But she managed to get to her feet. They made their way to the small walkway beside the tracks, intending to walk down. But as soon as Allison stepped onto the walkway, the boards beneath her feet cracked and she fell 30ft down below. Despite her severe injuries, Liz was determined to reach her friend and started climbing down the scaffolding with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm. She said there was chaos, lots of screaming. Parents had been watching their children on the ride, so they were obviously panicking. After a few minutes, I could hear sirens. When she finally reached the ground, Liz intended to get to Allison, but before she could get there, two adults grabbed her trying to help her. And she said, they got hold of me, one on each side and said we're taking you to first aid. They sort of frog marched me away from her. When Liz finally managed to find Allison, she'd been moved away from the wreckage and laid out on a grassy area with several other injured riders. Allison was unconscious, but was the one of the first to be taken to the hospital. In the days after that, she seemed to be improving, but a couple of weeks later, her condition took a turn and she succumbed and died. Alison Comerford was one of five children who died as a result of the accident. Accident. The others were 14 year old David Sate, 8 year old Shirley Nash, 13 year old Thomas Harmer and 12 year old Deborah Robertson and 13 others who suffered non fatal injuries. Wow, like tragic.

[A]

I just can't get past the.

[B]

The track being slick with blood. From the perspective of those watching the accident from the ground, the scene was a nightmare. When the train first, first hit the first curve in the tracks, it seemed like everything exploded. People said some of the riders were like thrown from the cars and landed somewhere on the structure. Others remained strapped into the car or were buried under debris. Shirley Nash's father, David said, I watched the carriage climb up to the first rise and then it just fell back and rolled down, throwing the children out. Oh. Oh God. That sentence alone, yeah. In the months that followed, an investigation determined the accident was initially caused by a break in the rope that pulled the cars, but that, that was just the first link in like a chain of problems that led to this tragedy. After the rope broke, the emergency brake to stop the train failed. Yeah. As the train moved, it picked up speed, causing the last car to jump the track when it hit the curve in the track. When structural engineer Carlton Boswell examined the structure of the Big Dipper, he identified dozens of walkways, handrails and parts of the track that were unsafe, including the walkway that gave out under Allison Comerford's feet. Wow. So that could have been fixed. Yeah. The following year, ride manager and the engineer were put on trial for criminal negligence and manslaughter, among other charges relating to the injuries.

[C]

As they should be.

[B]

During his opening statements, prosecuting attorney Henry Ponhill Pond Hall. Excuse me. Pointed to the many structural problems and defects with the ride. Telling the jury the Big Dipper was, quote, quite literally a death trap.

[C]

Yeah, it sounds like it.

[B]

Pointing to Allison's death, Pawn Hill emphasized the fact that this was. Wasn't simply a tragic accident, but a matter of ongoing negligence that created an unsafe environment in myriad ways. Despite the evidence and compelling testimony, the jury determined there was not sufficient proof to support the charges, and the two men were cleared.

[C]

That's shocking.

[B]

That's bullshit. The Big Dipper was quickly reopened.

[C]

Are you joking?

[B]

With a more modern metal coaster. But the accident and the trial that followed had done a lot of damage to the reputation of the operators and the ride itself. And the ride closed permanently in the fall of 1974. Yeah.

[C]

That ride should have never been reopened.

[B]

Thinking back on the accident, Liz Haig Reeve told the reporter, I always think about Allison and about the randomness of how it's one person and not another, and that's just horrible. It's really easy to take life for granted, but it's a bit of a nudge in the ribs every so often that says it's not like this for everyone. Wow. Isn't that like.

[C]

I got a chic. I was gonna say I just warmed.

[B]

I think that's a good quote to end on.

[C]

Yeah, that's.

[B]

That was powerful because although all of this is very tragic, I think that is a very. That's a really good way of looking at it. That's a reminder, like, that life is literally so fragile. If it's not one person, it's the other. And you can't tell which one is going to have that kind of experience and where tragedy is going to hit. And it's a good little. Little nudge in the ribs.

[C]

That's a real message, especially right now.

[B]

Yeah, it really is. But all of these things, I mean, luckily these rides were torn down. Other things were built in their place. Sometimes not even rides, sometimes people.

[C]

It's nice that. That sometimes people got payouts.

[B]

Yeah, not a lot, but. And that it showed, like, a lot of people came running to these tragedies, like, to help victims.

[C]

It highlighted humanity in a.

[A]

In a horrible way.

[B]

And in a nice way, it really did.

[C]

Which is Usually what we do here.

[B]

It highlighted both for sure. Because the ones that were like. And then the park just kept operating as nothing happened. Yeah. That's nuts. Like, really, guys? But yeah. So we'll. We'll be punctuating every once in a while. We'll do one of these episodes, you know, every now and again.

[C]

Every now and then, like, we do spooky roads. Spooky lighthouses.

[B]

Yeah. Which we. We need to do one of those. We haven't done one of those in a while.

[C]

Let me tell you, honey, I'm craving a spooky road.

[B]

In particular, I am craving spooky anything. I live every day spooky. But I'm ready for fall. And I know. I know it's not even March. I know. But you know me. Me. I know you guys know me. I know you get it. You know it's in my heart. Yeah.

[C]

But you got a fun fact for us?

[B]

I do have a fun fact. Hit me up.

[A]

Is it fun?

[B]

Your face? It is weird. No, it's a fun fact. It's. These are two groupings of animals that I think is really funny. What they're named.

[C]

Tell me.

[B]

A group of pandas is called an embarrassment.

[C]

Oh, that's not embarrassing.

[B]

And a group of pugs is a grumble.

[C]

A grumble. Oh, I want to grumble.

[B]

Just a grumble of hugs.

[A]

I want a grumble of hugs up in my house.

[B]

I love that a lot.

[C]

I got a grumble in this house.

[B]

One funny thing that. This is just, like, a funny little, like, anecdote that I have that I have to say, because you guys will get it, you know, like, what a big fan I am of, like, Pinhead and Hellraiser.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Movies. Like, last summer, whenever it was, I got to, like, have lunch with Doug Bradley and his wife Steph, who I absolutely fucking adore. I know. And we had lunch in Salem. It was great. And they're so easy to hang out with. Like, it was a real dream come true moment.

[C]

I've only met them on Zoom, but they're so kind.

[B]

A real pinch me moment. And Steph got up to go to the bathroom, and I was just sitting with Doug. And at the. And I was just, like, for a moment. I got like, a super, like, moment of, like, I'm just sitting here with Doug. Brad. Like, what do I talk to him about? Yeah. Even though, like, Steph makes it so easy to talk with anybody.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And so as soon as she left, he just started naming. He was like. Did you know that groups. This group of animals is called this.

[C]

I love that.

[B]

And this group of animals is called this. And immediately I was like, oh, we're good. We're good. Like, it was immediately like, oh, you.

[C]

Said, I'll survive this.

[B]

You are one of us.

[C]

Not only will I survive this, I will thrive.

[B]

I will thrive in this. Like, it was. It was such a good moment. I was like, of course. Like that. That's amazing.

[C]

Tell me all.

[B]

So just know that Doug Bradley and his wife are peaches. Because she can't. I think Steph came back and we just kept naming animals.

[C]

She just comes back from the table, like. And this group of animals. This.

[B]

I think. I think he said a group of owls is called the Parliament. Oh, I'm pretty sure. Love that. Is that what it is? Double check that Group of owls called. I wish they were just called Parliament.

[C]

I wish they were just called the whole.

[B]

Just. That would be funny, right? But yeah, that was my little, like, little side side story with that love. And to let you know that Doug Bradley and his wife Steph are really top notch.

[C]

She really just gave you many fun facts in our fun fact segment.

[B]

I really did.

[C]

I'm gonna top that next episode.

[B]

That's a. That's a. That's two fun facts for the price of one.

[C]

The funnest facts.

[B]

And again, go to amusement parks. Have your fun.

[A]

Yeah, just look at the tracks.

[B]

Be aware. That's all.

[C]

Hey, and you know what else? Keep listening. We hope you do. We hope you keep listening.

[B]

We hope you keep it weird.

[C]

But not so weird as.

[B]

Not so weird that if you change the wording of the ending of our show that we've been doing for, like, eight years, even slightly, I fall apart at the scene, cannot respond.

[C]

I saw that.

[B]

The slightest change.

[C]

I said I fucked up. I said, said, miss over here.

[B]

Slightest change.

[D]

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[B]

Together.

[D]

Let's drive.

[A]

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