Tourist hurled out of mountain rollercoaster as it turned corner then dragged along track in incident that left her seriously injured, lawyers say
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A Texas woman has claimed that she suffered serious injuries after she was dragged along a Colorado mountain roller coaster that has since been closed as authorities investigate the ride.
Nicola Parker, 60, was riding the Rocky Mountain Coaster on August 17 at Copper Mountain, a ski resort west of Denver, when she was ejected from her cart and tangled in her seatbelt, according to a statement from her attorneys.
Carts on the ride have a handbrake to control speed but can travel up to 25mph and make sharp turns as they descend 430 vertical feet along a 5,800-foot track.
One of the turns allegedly launched Parker out of her seat before she was dragged down the metal track for 20 to 30 seconds as the cart kept moving, her attorneys said.
Her husband, who was in the cart behind her, was forced to watch 'helplessly' and in 'sheer terror,' according to the lawyers.
The woman suffered severe injuries including a separated left shoulder, a broken rib that punctured and collapsed her left lung, a traumatic brain injury and deep lacerations, her attorneys said.
She was rushed to a hospital before being transferred to a trauma center. Parker has since undergone three surgeries, two for her punctured lung and one for her shoulder, and she is still recovering in the hospital, according to her lawyers.
Copper Mountain closed the Rocky Mountain Coaster on August 17, and the ride will remain shuttered while Colorado's Division of Oil & Public Safety, which oversees amusement rides, conducts an investigation.
Nicola Parker, 60, allegedly suffered serious injuries after being launched from a Colorado mountain roller coaster on August 17. She is pictured with her husband
Parker's attorneys said that she was tangled in her seatbelt and dragged along Copper Mountain's Rocky Mountain Coaster (pictured) for 20 to 30 seconds
'If the investigation determines the operator is out of compliance with any rules or regulations, we may issue a notice of violation that could potentially include fines and/or an order to discontinue the ride until all violations are satisfactorily corrected,' a spokesperson for the division told Westword.
Parker's attorneys contend that the mechanisms of the Rocky Mountain Coaster prove that their client is not responsible in any way for her injuries.
Signs on the ride state that the cart automatically stops and beeps if a passenger removes their seatbelt. Because the cart never stopped moving, it proves that Parker's seatbelt was fastened, her lawyers said.
No lawsuit has been filed against Copper Mountain, as Parker's attorneys are awaiting the outcome of the investigation by state officials.
'Ms. Parker had her seatbelt fastened at all times and followed all instructions provided by Copper Mountain. There is simply no way she should have been ejected from the coaster. We look forward to receiving the results of the investigation,' one of her attorneys, Joseph Bloch, said.
'Parker is just beginning her medical treatment caused by this incident, and her doctors continue to discover new injuries and complications that have required additional surgeries,' he added.
'This incident will have a severe impact on her, both physically and emotionally, for the rest of her life.'
In a statement to ABC News, Copper Mountain said it is cooperating with the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety as it conducts an investigation.
Parker's husband allegedly had to watch 'helplessly' and 'sheer terror' as his wife was dragged. She suffered injuries including a broken rib that punctured her lung, her lawyers said
The Rocky Mountain Coaster was closed pending an investigation by Colorado's Division of Oil & Public Safety. Parker's attorneys are waiting for the results before potentially filing a lawsuit
'Our thoughts are with the guest, and we wish them a speedy recovery,' the statement also said.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Copper Mountain for further comment.
The Rocky Mountain Coaster has been open since 2017, and there have been no previous serious injuries reported to have been caused by the ride, according to state officials.
A similar mountain coaster at the Purgatory Resort in Durango, about 280 miles southwest of Copper Mountain, has also been closed pending the results of the investigation by authorities.
