Iraq Vet And Double Amputee Falls To Death From Darien Lake Roller Coaster

Hackemer during a physical therapy session in April (AP)

An Iraq war veteran and double amputee was ejected from a roller coaster at the Darien Lake Theme Park and fell to he death. Gowanda resident Sgt. James Thomas Hackemer was on the Ride of Steel as it quickly crested a steep hill and apparently flew off because the lap bar couldn't be properly secured to his torso. "He didn't have anything holding him down," said his 19-year-old nephew who was riding next to him. "By the time I'd realized that he was pretty far out of the seat, he was too far for me to grab." According to the Post, the pair asked a member of the park's staff which rides Hackemer could safety enjoy, and were told, "They're all fine." The Ride of Steel's height requirement is 54 inches. Hackemer was 3 feet tall.

Hackemer, who was 29, had his legs amputated after a roadside bomb detonated in 2008. Doctors initially thought Hackemer would be in vegetative state, but he awoke from his coma and physical therapy and his prosthetic legs helped him recover. Hackemer's sister told the Buffalo News that her brother was "determined to get on his favorite ride, the Ride of Steel," and, "We in no shape or form hold Darien Lake accountable. They weren't negligent. It's nobody's fault. It was an accident." She says Hackemer "was doing what he loved. That's what gives me peace." Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident.

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By Christopher Robbins in News on July 10, 2011 4:55 PM

Comments [rss]

Moo Cow

And the Darwin award goes to...

robingee

I thought he had just gotten prosthetic legs; I guess he was not wearing them on the coaster.

heyhohey

I know it's asshole-ish to criticize this guy's sister, but the theme park absolutely is at fault. If it was dangerous for him to be on it he shouldn't have been allowed on the ride. It wasn't an accident, they killed him through negligence. Had they actually given a shit/not been lazy about safety, he would still be alive. It doesn't matter how determined someone is to get on a ride when it's unsafe for them to do so. On top of it, if the lab bar wasn't securing properly they shouldn't have let him stay on.

Unkle_Bob

It's called personal responsibility. As a presumed American, I assume you probably don't know what that means. But it means that HE made a choice. Intentionally. Willfully. The buck stops with him and no one else.

Roger_the_Shrubber

With no legs you can't be held securely by the safety bar. That should have been obvious to all concerned. A horrid tragedy in any case.

schmeep

It's always smart to trust the word of a teenaged theme park attendant over a doctor.

Aside from the double amputation, the same thing almost happened to me on the Cyclone- the idiots didn't secure the bar of my seat, and only stopped the ride because my friend and I tried to jump off. All we got was a 'teeth suck' like it was our fault.

jaycjay

"It's always smart to trust the word of a teenaged theme park attendant over a doctor."

Huh? Did a doctor say he shouldn't ride it?

According to the Buffalo News article, his family said it would have been difficult to keep him from riding no matter what the employees thought. "He was very determined."

He was an adult, a well-trained veteran, and knew more about the capabilities of his body than anyone else did. I'm happy that the family is seeing it that way: no one at the park did anything wrong; it was an accident.

heyhohey

"He was an adult, a well-trained veteran, and knew more about the capabilities of his body than anyone else did. I'm happy that the family is seeing it that way: no one at the park did anything wrong; it was an accident." It doesn't matter how determined he was, if it's unsafe for him to be on the ride, which obviously it was, they didn't do their one basic job which is to uphold safety standards. It is their fault, it's not an accident, it's negligence.