robbalvey Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liride0901,0,76054.story?coll=ny-rightrail-columnist&track=mostemailedlink Teen operating miniature coaster struck and killed by ride’s first car after slipping onto tracks September 1, 2005 Stephen Gary had operated the Lady Bug Coaster at Adventureland in East Farmingdale since June, spending summer days watching its red-and-black polka-dotted cars carry screaming children around the tracks. Fifteen minutes before the park closed Tuesday night, Gary, 18, stood alone at the ride's controls and for an unknown reason gave it one more run, even though there were no passengers, Suffolk police said. About six hours later, he was dead. Somehow Gary had slipped onto the tracks, landing face down, with the first car in a connected line of about a dozen stopped just over his back, police said. A park visitor saw him and screamed for help. Gary's colleagues arrived, called 911 and his identical twin brother, Sean. It was about 10:45 p.m. when Sean called their mother, Sharon Gary, just as she was leaving their North Babylon home to pick up Stephen. She said she didn't think it was anything more than a minor accident. She rode in the ambulance's front passenger seat, as emergency workers tended to Gary in the back. He was conscious and speaking. As he was wheeled into the emergency room at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow he told his mother, "Mommy, don't cry. I'll be all right." About 5 a.m. yesterday, he was pronounced dead, with massive internal injuries and a shattered pelvis, she said. Homicide Squad Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick said it was not known why or how Gary ended up on the tracks, or why he was unable to move out of the cars' path. An autopsy will be scheduled. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the state Department of Labor were investigating yesterday. Robert Lillpopp, a spokesman for the labor department, said the park has a "fairly clean" safety record, with no recorded major accidents or fatalities since it opened in 1962. Yesterday as detectives and investigators milled around the park talking to employees, some of Gary's co-workers hugged and cried in small circles near the ride, which will remain closed during the investigation. At a gazebo where workers took breaks, flowers and notes for Gary were posted on pillars. Gary's supervisor, Paul Gentile, said the teen was a dependable employee who was always smiling. As Suffolk police officers took pictures of the miniature coaster, a group of summer camp children ran up to it, then were disappointed to see it closed. At Gary's home in North Babylon, his mother said he enjoyed the $6.25-an-hour part-time job, which he had for the past two summers, because he liked being near youngsters. He had another job at Express, a clothing store at Sunrise Mall in Massapequa. Gary graduated from North Babylon High School in June and even though he was accepted at Long Island University, he decided against college because he wanted to focus on ministering as a devout Jehovah's Witness, Sharon Gary said. He also had been taking computer classes at a Dix Hills technical trade school. Inspired by an article in a Jehovah's Witness magazine, Gary often urged classmates, even people he met at Adventureland, to stop smoking, his mother said. "During the 18 years he was alive, he never, ever gave me any problems," his mother said. "If you saw him, you'd be able to say he was a nice, well-mannered, clean-cut guy." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coasterlicious Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 That sucks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not For Sale Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 :shock: That park is like 10 minutes from my house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imbordisux Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Sounds like suicide. Tragic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Jack Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Here's a picture of the coaster that the op was struck by, taken at the end of July Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not For Sale Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liride0902,0,141591.story?coll=ny-top-headlines Another death at AdventurelandSep 1, 2005 A 45-year-old woman was killed at Adventureland today after she was thrown from a ride at the park. The accident marks the second death in as many days at the Farmingdale park. The woman was on the Top Scan ride, located on the north edge of the park. The woman, who has not been identified, was thrown from the ride and landed on a parked car in an adjacent lot. The accident occurred just after noon on Thursday. The ride features rotating cars that spin in the shape of a pinwheel. The report of the woman's death comes one day after an 18-year-old worker died from being run over by a roller-coaster car. In that case, Stephen Gary died six hours after he slipped onto the tracks, landing face down, with the first car in a connected line of about a dozen stopped just over his back, Suffolk police said. Gary had operated the Lady Bug Coaster since June. He had also worked at the park the previous summer. Police said fifteen minutes before the park closed Tuesday night, Gary stood alone at the ride's controls and for an unknown reason gave it one more run, even though there were no passengers, police said. After he was run over, a park visitor saw him and screamed for help. Gary's colleagues arrived, called 911 and his identical twin brother, Sean, police said. Gary's mother, who rode in the ambulance as emergency workers tended to Gary, said he was conscious and speaking after the accident. He was taken to the emergency room at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where he was pronounced deat at about 5 a.m. Gary's mother said her son died from massive internal injuries and a shattered pelvis. Homicide Squad Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick said it was not known why or how Gary ended up on the tracks, or why he was unable to move out of the cars' path. An autopsy will be scheduled. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the state Department of Labor were investigating yesterday. Robert Lillpopp, a spokesman for the labor department, said the park has a "fairly clean" safety record, with no recorded major accidents or fatalities since it opened in 1962. Gary graduated from North Babylon High School in June and even though he was accepted at Long Island University, he decided against college because he wanted to focus on ministering as a devout Jehovah's Witness, Sharon Gary said. He also had been taking computer classes at a Dix Hills technical trade school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 ^WHOA!!!!! Crazy!!! I wonder what happened that only one person was thrown out. Are we going to see all Top Scans closed now for a bit!!?? Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Fan Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 wow! I went on that topscan in the spring! How could you fall out of it? Unless the OTSR was open to much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneygurlz2s Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 This is reminding me of some CSI episode............................. Shari "somebody call Grissom in on this one" Shoufler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CycloneMan Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 Also, I heard, someone fell oput of Top Scan. Not sure if that is true. This is really sad. That was actually my 70th coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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