The World’s Second-Tallest Roller Coaster Is Closing Forever

Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio announced that they would be closing Top Thrill Dragster. The roller coaster is the second-tallest in the world, towering at 420 feet.
On Tuesday, the park tweeted:

“After 19 seasons in operation with 18 million riders experiencing the world’s first strata roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired.”

pic.twitter.com/PFaYpxYEhO

— Cedar Point (@cedarpoint) September 6, 202

The move comes just over a year after a Michigan woman was hit in the head by a piece of metal that fell from the coaster. Rachel Hawes was standing in line for the ride when an L-shaped bracket attached to the back of the coaster’s car dislodged. She survived the accident but was left with serious brain injuries.

After the accident, the state released a 620-page report finding no evidence that the park did anything illegal or that Top Thrill Dragster was unsafe. But the ride has remained closed since the accident.

A Storied History

Top Thrill Dragster opened in 2004 as the tallest roller coaster in the world. Cedar Point dubbed it a “strata coaster” for its extreme height. The coaster reached speeds of up to 120 mph, also making it the fastest coaster at the time.

But the record was shattered in 2005 when the Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. King Kanda climbs to 456 feet and reaches speeds of 128 mph.