Top Thrill Dragster, world’s second-tallest roller coaster, is permanently closing

The world’s second-tallest roller coaster is being permanently closed, an amusement park in Ohio announced Tuesday.

Cedar Point took the decision a year after a small metal object flew off the 420-foot tall Top Thrill Dragster coaster and struck a woman in the head. The ride that dominates the Sandusky, Ohio, park’s skyline, has remained closed since the accident on Aug. 15, 2021. 

Following the incident, a state investigation was conducted which said that no evidence was found that the park acted illegally or had reason to believe the ride was unsafe.

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Park officials did not say if the accident influenced their decision to permanently close the coaster.

The Top Thrill Dragster coaster has operated for 19 years and drawn 18 million riders.

In a statement announcing the closure, the park noted its “legacy of ride innovation continues. Our team is hard at work, creating a new and reimagined ride experience.” More details about its plans would be disclosed in the future, the park said.

The Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, is considered the world’s tallest with a 456-foot elevation.

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Top Thrill Dragster was manufactured by Intamin. It was the sixteenth roller coaster to be built at the park since Blue Streak in 1964. It opened in 2003 as the tallest roller coaster in the world.

Its height record was later surpassed by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2005.

Top Thrill Dragster, along with Kingda Ka, are the only strata coasters ever built. The tagline for Top Thrill Dragster is “Race for the Sky.”