Police said Young, who was visiting from Canton, Ohio, was struck by the actual ride and not a passenger and that no other injuries were reported.
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“A guest entered a restricted, fenced area of Raptor and was struck by the ride”. Park safety officials responded immediately to the situation. “Unfortunately, [Young] had passed away”. “Local authorities are on the scene conducting an investigation”.
The park also expressed condolences to Young’s family, and said in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family”. Our hearts go out to everybody.
“I feel like there’s so much more he could’ve done”, said parent Sarah Petrey.
Some parents say their kids could not have made it through school without him and that this year will be different now.
“He has been in the county a long time, too”, Gress said.
Young worked as an intervention specialist at Louisville Elementary School, though he had recently accepted an offer to work as a guidance counselor at Sebring High School.
His devastated parents on Friday spoke about his willingness to make a positive change in the lives of young people, his close relationship to his family and friends and how it was uncharacteristic for him to have made risky decisions like the one that claimed his life on Thursday.
While final reports will not be available until next week, he said it appeared that Young died from blunt force trauma to the head caused by a steel bar at the bottom of the coaster train.
A Cedar Point spokesman said the ride resumed operations on Friday after it was found to be safe.
But Thursday, Young’s annual visit to Cedar Point turned tragic.
Mohr said services for Young have not been set, pending an autopsy.
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“That was one of his favourite places to go”, Young’s mother, Brenda Young, told The Washington Post.
