The world's second-tallest rollercoaster has been shut down months after a woman was left critically injured when a mental bracket flew into her face.
Rachel Hawes, 45, from Michigan, was left screaming in agony as she was rushed to hospital after being struck by the object while enjoying the mega 420-ft ride.
She fought for her life after the L-shaped bracket smacked her in the head during a visit to Cedar Point amusement park in the Ohio city of Sandusky in August 2021.
The object came loose from one of the carriages on the 420-foot high Top Thrill Dragster rollercoaster and the attraction was closed while an investigation was carried out.
But now it has been announced that it won't ever re-open, the DailyStar report.
A statement read: "After 19 seasons in operation with 18million riders experiencing the world's first strata coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, as you know it, is being retired.
"However, Cedar Point's legacy of ride innovation continues. Our team is hard at work, creating a new and reimagined ride experience."
A strata coaster is the phrase used to describe any complete-circuit rollercoaster with a height between 400 and 499 feet.
The Dragster, which accelerated from zero to 120mph in less than four seconds, was opened in 2003 and was followed two years later by the only other strata coaster in the world - the Kingda Ka rollercoaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, which boasts a 456-foot elevation.
It is not known whether Hawes has recovered from her injuries and Cedar Point have decided to take the ride out of service forever - despite a 620-page report by the Ohio Department of Agriculture concluding that the rollercoaster was safe and there had been no wrong-doing on the part of the park.
In video footage, taken after Hawes had been struck by the object, her shrieks of pain can be heard as she receives medical treatment to her bleeding head while laid on the ground.
John McDermott, 27, was queuing for the ride at the time and told Cleveland.com : "I saw the thing hit the crowd. The lady fell and I heard it bounce off the concrete.
"It was something metal. It wasn't a small object.
"It was pretty big – bigger than the palm of my hand. It looked like a metal disc flying through the air."
The Department of Agriculture's report included a photo of the bracket, which appears to measure about three inches long and two inches wide, while being made of solid steal.
In Ohio, the law states that rollercoasters must be inspected once a year and the Dragster was last examined four months before the incident.
