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Day 1 ends in Son of Beast trial

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By Denise G. Callahan, Staff Writer 6:16 PM Thursday, October 15, 2009

Attorneys for Kings Island admit the Son of Beast was defective when it sent 27 people to the hospital in July 2006, but they dispute the degree of injury and amount of damages some received.

The first and maybe only case surrounding the 2006 roller coaster accident to go to trial started Thursday, Oct. 15 in Warren County Common Pleas Court. Several other cases have been settled.

Jennifer Wright of Defiance suffered a hip injury that her attorney John Scaccia claims will require several replacements during her lifetime. She is asking the jury to force Kings Island to pay for punitive damages.

The jury heard testimony from Eric Witsow, Wright’s former boyfriend and train car partner the day of the accident. He said when they hit the failed portion of track the lap bar clamped down on Wright’s lap. She was crying and asking for his help and she ended up being rushed to Bethesda Medical Center via ambulance, Witsow said.

“There were people screaming and crying everywhere,” he said. “It was chaos.”

Kings Island’s attorney Harry “Chip” Finke acknowledged Wright suffered minor injuries from the coaster. But, he promised to show a video of Wright — filmed by a private investigator — moving around seemingly pain-free, even standing on her right foot with her left leg outstretched.

“I ask you to award her reasonable damages, which she is entitled to” Finke said. “But nothing more and nothing less.”

Scaccia called Doug Morr, a biomechanical engineer, to the stand to explain how Wright, who stands five feet one inches tall and weighed 105 pounds, received her injuries. Using medical records and reports from the investigation into the accident, he said a normal ride on the Son of Beast puts a G-force of about 2.7 on a person. The fateful ride on the failed track threw a G-force of almost 10 at Wright and fellow riders.

Using a skeleton he demonstrated how a simple fall would not have damaged Wright’s hip area in the way the force of the ride and hitting the damaged track did.

The jury is expected to hear a few witnesses today, Oct. 16 and then begin deliberating.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.

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