Deadly Fun, Part 1: Pennsylvania Amusement Park Fatalities

The demise of the Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park (Photo: Shannon Roae, Meadville Tribune)

 

Despite state-of-the-art roller coasters that hurl riders at speeds of nearly 160 mph (such as Falcon's Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia) or send riders plunging down a 400-foot drop (such as Cedar Point's Top Thrill 2), amusement park fatalities are exceedingly rare in these modern times.

Depending on the source, statistics show an average of 3.7 to 4.5 ride-related deaths per year in the United States. Considering how many millions of people enjoy these rides every year without incident, the odds of losing your life on an amusement park ride are substantially slimmer than the odds of losing your life performing ordinary everyday activities like driving to work or hitting the gym.

While the majority of amusement park deaths are attributed to undiagnosed medical conditions, the unfortunate reality is that mechanical error and rider misbehavior still result in the occasional tragedy. But the fact that today's rides are safer, despite being bigger and faster than the rides of yesteryear, are a testament to the unbelievable skill of the engineers and designers responsible for creating them. But things weren't always that way; in the not-so-distant past, amusement parks dotted the Pennsylvania landscape, with roller coasters and tilt-a-whirls built and designed by folks who probably couldn't have told you the difference between G-force and a G-string.

This three part series presents a look at some forgotten tragedies from amusement parks across Pennsylvania.

Conneaut Lake Park (Crawford County)

The Blue Streak

Founded in 1892 as Exposition Park, Conneaut Lake Park began with little more than a dance hall and a bathhouse. The park's first ride, a carousel, was opened in 1899 and others soon followed. Despite a devastating fire in 1908 that destroyed several park structures, the park continued to flourish due to its accessibility by boat, train and trolley. In 1920, Exposition Park was renamed Conneaut Lake Park as its focus drifted from summertime picnic resort to amusement park. During this era of rapid expansion, several rides were added: the Tumble Bug, bumper cars, and a figure-eight coaster named Jack Rabbit. But in 1938, the park's big attraction opened-- the famous wooden roller coaster known as the Blue Streak.

Designed by Ed Vettel, the Blue Streak thrilled riders with speeds of 50 miles per hour after the 78-foot drop, making it one of the most exciting roller coasters of the pre-war era. Even as newer, faster coasters sprang up across the country, the Blue Streak remained a favorite until 2019, when it went out of operation. It was demolished by a controlled-burn fire in 2022, bringing a sad ending to one of America's most historic and beloved rides.

Over its 81-year run, the Blue Streak claimed three unfortunate victims. On Memorial Day of 1942, John Hyde, a 20-year-old machinist from Meadville, was thrown from his car while lunging for a package that had slipped from the seat next to him. He fell fifteen feet to the tracks below, suffering massive head injuries. A nurse who happened to be standing nearby managed to drag him from the tracks just before the next train of cars whizzed by. He was taken to Greenville Hospital, where he died two days later without ever regaining consciousness.

On July 5, 1946, 21-year-old Navy veteran Harold Thompson was killed after falling from one of the middle cars during the ascent up the first incline. Just three years later, 40-year-old Greenville Steel Car Company employee Reed Kramer was killed during a company outing after he stood up as the car raced down the last incline, causing him to be hurled nearly twenty feet into the vertical post of a steel guard rail. He died almost instantly from a fractured skull. An investigation determined that his safety strap hadn't been properly secured, though several riders told authorities they had seen Kramer intentionally undo the restraint. The reason for his act is a mystery, as the female companion who had been riding with Kramer at the time of the tragedy could not be identified-- she disappeared into the crowd as soon as the ride ended.

Three deaths in the span of eight years didn't cause the park's eventual decline, however. It was a combination of mismanagement and bad luck. After its owners declared bankruptcy in 1995, the park was purchased by a group of investors led by Gary Harris, a convicted felon with a rap sheet that included rape, tax evasion and forgery. in 2021, ownership passed into the hands of Keldon Holdings, LLC, and while Conneaut Lake Park continues to operate, it is only a ghost of its former self.

 

Mount Holly Park (Cumberland County)

A 1904 postcard of Mount Holly Park

 

Like many Pennsylvania amusement parks, Mount Holly Park began its life as a summer resort serviced by a trolley line. Opened in 1901 by Harrisburg businessman Patricio Russ, Mount Holly Park offered visitors a respite from the summer heat alongside the forest-shaded spring-fed waters of Mountain Creek in Cumberland County. Three years later, Russ expanded the park, adding rides as well as an artificial lake for swimming. In fact, the first Ferris wheel in Cumberland County was located at Mount Holly Park.

History records just one fatality at the park. On July 17, 1912, 45-year-old Thomas Blair of Newville, ignoring the sign reading "Hold your hat and keep your seat", decided to stand up while riding the park's roller coaster and use his feet to check the speed of the car as it traveled along the track. Not surprisingly, he fell out of the car and was promptly crushed between the car he fell out of and the one behind him. His breastbone and jaw were crushed and he died from his injuries at a local hospital. As a result the ride was shut down. As the automobile replaced the trolley, attendance began to wane and just 17 years later the park would close for good.

 

Carsonia Park (Berks County)

The Thunderbolt at Carsonia Park as it appeared in the 1940s.

 

Located near Reading, Carsonia Park was constructed by the United Traction Company in 1896 as a pleasure stop for riders of its trolley service. With free admission, the park quickly became a popular destination and visitors flocked to the park to enjoy shows at the band pavilion, play games at the penny arcade and view nickelodeon movies. Some of the early rides at Carsonia Park included a Ferris wheel, carousel, the Big Toboggan, Little Railway, and a dark ride known as The Haunted Pretzel. The park also featured three roller coasters; a smaller one called the Jack Rabbit and a larger coaster called the Thunderbolt. There was also a miniature coaster called the Whiz-Bang.

It was this second coaster that claimed the life of Paul Bright, a 20-year-old textile factory worker, on September 14, 1929. Sitting in the rear car of the Thunderbolt, Bright and a friend, Daniel Jones, rode the coaster three times in a row before Jones decided he had enough. Bright, however, wanted to go for a fourth ride and so he stepped into the front seat of the first car. As the coaster climbed the final incline, Jones saw his friend standing up in the front seat, having lifted the safety bar. A moment later as the cars lurched over a dip he watched in horror as Bright was hurled from the coaster, his momentum causing him to land ahead of the train. He was run over, the cars severing both legs and crushing his skull. He died instantly.

Children watching the Airplane Ride at Carsonia Park, with the Thunderbolt in the background.

The Whiz-Bang proved that a roller coaster need not be large to be dangerous. On August 5, 1945, 40-year-old Oscar Shober met his death from a fractured skull after he was thrown from his car while standing up, falling 35 feet and landing on a footpath next to the ride. The tragedy occurred in sight of Shober's wife and daughter.

As a summer resort, Carsonia Park would close down in 1950, a victim not to unsafe conditions, but to suburban sprawl. Residential properties now cover a portion of the park grounds. Modern-day Carsonia Park, home to the Antietam Pool, basketball courts, and Crystal Lake, still remains open to the public.

Waldameer Amusement Park (Erie County)

The Dips-the-Dips at Waldameeer

 

The fourth oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania, Waldameer continues to thrill visitors to this day. Established in 1896 as a trolley park for the Erie Electric Motor Company, the park began its life as a picnic grove with beaches, a dance hall and a German beer garden. The park's first roller coaster, the Dip-the Dips (also known as the Figure Eight), opened in 1902. Three years later Waldameer would add a carousel. 

On May 24, 1920, a 35-year-old rider on the Dip-the-Dips, Eli Oprean, stood up and waved his arms on the ride and when the car hit a curve he was thrown overboard. He struck the framework with his head and died instantly.

In 1922, the ride that put Waldameer on the map was constructed-- a roller coaster known as the Ravine Flyer. Designed by John A. Miller, "the father of the modern roller coaster", the Ravine Flyer continued to operate until 1938, when it closed permanently after a fatal accident.

A section of the original Ravine Flyer spanning Peninsula Drive

On August 7, 1938, a Temple University football player, 19-year-old Clarence Sersch, was riding the Ravine Flyer with his older sister, Mae, when the coaster malfunctioned near the top of the second incline, causing the cars to roll back down and part way up the first incline. The cars continued to roll back and forth, causing Clarence's sister, who was seated a few cars ahead, to panic. In an attempt to calm his hysterical sister, Clarence freed himself from the safety restraint and attempted to stand up. Tragically, he lost his balance and fell 30 feet to the ground, fracturing his skull. He passed away from his injuries at a hospital the following day. The Ravine Flyer was torn down shortly thereafter.

In 2008 a new coaster, Ravine Flyer II, was opened on the site of the ill-fated original. The award-winning wood/steel hybrid roller coaster-- boasting two drops of more than 100 feet-- has consistently been ranked as one of the top ten wooden coasters in the country.

  

Kennywood Amusement Park (Allegheny County)

The original Racer roller coaster

Opened in 1898 on the spot of an old picnic ground known as Kenny's Grove, Kennywood began its life as a trolley park for the Monongahela Street Railway. The first attractions were a carousel, casino hall and dance paviliion. The park's first roller coaster, the Figure Eight Tobaggan, was opened in 1902. Today, the park features six coasters, including three historic wooden coasters-- the Jack Rabbit (built in 1920), the Racer (built in 1927), and the Thunderbolt (built in 1968 from an earlier 1924 coaster, the Pippin).

The Racer that continues to thrill riders today is the successor to the Kennywood's original Racer, a John A. Miller-designed racing coaster in which two trains race side by side on separate tracks. At the time of its completion in 1910, it was the largest racing coaster in the world. It only took seven years for the ride to claim its first victim.

On July 8, 1917, 23-year-old Harry Brantz, a private in the Pennsylvania National Guard, decided to stand up in the car. He struck his head on an obstruction and plummeted to the ground. He was rushed to a hospital in Braddock where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The Racer would also succumb a short time later; it was demolished in 1926.

The Thunderbolt

While the original Racer was in operation just seven years before its first fatality, it took far less time for the Thunderbolt to claim a life. On May 16, 1968, just four days after the Thunderbolt was opened (it was basically a rebuild of the park's Pippin coaster), David Setmire, a 15-year-old high school sophomore from Greensburg, lost his life during his school's annual picnic. Setmire was ejected from a car on the Thunderbolt and hurled ten feet, resulting in extensive internal injuries. He was taken to Braddock General Hospital where he died without ever regaining consciousness.

Tragedy would strike yet again just a few months later. On August 7, Nina Rach and her friend, Nancy Menendez, both 15 years of age, were riding the Popover (a Ferris wheel-type ride in which the riders are enclosed in metal cages) when a bolt snapped, sending their cage crashing to the ground. Rach succumbed to her injuries en route to the hospital while Mendendez survived, suffering only two shattered wrists.

As for the second Racer, it, too, claimed a victim. On June 20, 1944, Mary Alice Wilhelm, the 21-year-old wife of a soldier stationed in England and mother of an infant daughter, suffered a fractured skull when her car failed to stop at the end of the ride. She died from her injuries at Braddock General Hospital three days later. Two other occupants of the car in which she was riding, both of whom were soldiers on furlough, were also injured, one seriously. 

The second Racer, built in 1927

 

Death even seemed to stalk the kiddie rides at Kennywood. On May 30, 1979, five-year-old Kyle Foster suffered fatal injuries after falling from an open gondola swing ride. He fell on a spike, which pierced his kidneys and suffered a broken spine. He was rushed to Braddock General Hospital where he died a short time later.

The weather was to blame for at least two deaths at Kennywood. On August 21, 1917, 13-year-old Lester Schreckengost was killed by lightning at the park. On May 31, 2002, a massive storm pummeled Western Pennsylvania, with 80-mph winds causing widespread damage to Lawrenceville, Homestead, Wilkinsburg and surrounding communities. At Kennywood, the wooden pavilion that sheltered the Whip collapsed, injuring 54 visitors and killing 30-year-old Stephanie Wilkerson of Monroeville. 

With five fatal accidents on five different rides-- plus a couple of assists from Mother Nature--  Kennywood holds the undisputed title of Deadliest Amusement Park in Pennsylvania.

 
Schuylkill Park (Schuylkill County)

The roller coaster at Schuylkill Park

 

Hailed as "the Playground of the Anthracites", this amusement park was situated between Port Carbon and Cumbola and opened to the public on July 1, 1921. The site boasted an impressive assortment of attractions, including a bathhouse and concrete swimming pool, dance hall, and a variety of food stands. There were also several rides, including the Shoot the Chute, a carousel, aerial swings, Ferris wheel, tunnel of love, and a wooden roller coaster known as "The Dips", which was built and designed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.

While the park, which was also locally known as "Dream City", is still remembered fondly by some of the older residents of Pottsville and surrounding communities, lost in the fog of time is a sad tragedy which took place more than a century ago. On August 13, 1925, an intoxicated 14-year-old girl named Mary O'Garrack lost her life after standing up on the roller coaster as the car climbed the incline. She was thrown thirty feet to the ground, her head striking a pillar of the roller coaster as she fell.

Like many recreational establishments, Schuylkill Park fell on hard times during the Depression. The rides were torn down after a change in ownership and the park was renamed White City Park, where the focus shifted to more adult-friendly amusements like dancing, band concerts, boxing matches and even beauty pageants. While the park closed down in the 1940s, the dance hall remained in use until the 1950s, when it was sold and converted to a factory. The factory burned down in 1958.

Mapleview Amusement Park (Washington County)

The Brown Flyer at Mapleview

 

Located near Canonsburg, Maple View was a short-lived amusement park that operated between 1928 and 1936. Though its life was short, it was an impressive place-- a 200-acre park featuring a carousel, bumper cars, Tilt-a-Whirl, the Whip, aerial swings and its signature attraction: A 2,000-foot-long roller coaster known as The Brown Flyer. The park also boasted one of the finest dance pavilions in western Pennsylvania.

While the Great Depression was the official cause of Mapleview's downfall, the two fatalities that occurred there in a one year span certainly didn't help. Both victims fell prey to the Brown Flyer, which, in contrast to other Pennsylvania roller coasters, was designed and built by a local engineer named Brown (hence the ride's name). And, in contrast to other coasters, the Brown Flyer had no safety restraints whatsoever. Riders were instructed that the coaster was "completely safe" so long as the rider kept on hand on the bar in the front of the car and one hand on the bar in the rear.

The first casualty of the ride's questionable engineering was 22-year-old Samuel Malone. On June 29, 1928, Malone and a companion were riding in the last car, and when they went over the third dip Malone was tossed out of his seat. Malone's companion and another rider attempted to save the young man by grabbing hold of his feet. This had disastrous consequences, as Malone's head was battered to a pulp as it bounced against the track's wooden cross ties as the car raced along at a high rate of speed. Malone's mother sued the park and was eventually awarded $10,435 after a judge found the Mapleview Recreation Company at fault. 

But, surprisingly, instead of taking the Brown Flyer out of commission to install safety devices, business continued as usual. Just thirteen months later, on July 8, 1929, 15-year-old Mario Marik died after being flung from the front seat as the train of cars rounded a curve. Marik fell 25 feet through the framework, landing on the track below, and was run over by the same train of cars from which he had been hurled. It's not clear if Mapleview made any changes to the ride after the second fatality, but the Brown Flyer continued to operate until 1935, when it was dismantled and its wood was sold. 

Newton Lake Park (Lackawanna County)

Established in 1917, Newton Lake Park was a 50-acre amusement park located north of Carbondale. During its heyday the park featured about a dozen rides, including a carousel, kiddie railway, bumper cars, aerial swings, ferris wheel and a roller coaster. On August 13, 1926, 16-year-old Edward Gerrity was pitched from the first seat of the coaster as it rounded a curve. He plummeted several feet to his death. 

But as tragic as the teenager's death was, the park's darkest day occurred in 1960, when a speeding car struck and killed five teenagers at the park's entrance as the group was leaving. Nine years later the park was closed and its rides dismantled, but to this day flowers are still left at the scene of the tragedy in remembrance of the five lives that were lost on July 8, 1960. The former park property is now a private residential community.

Lake Ariel Park (Wayne County)

The carousel at Lake Ariel Park

 

Just twenty miles from Newton Lake stood another historic amusement park. Opened in 1875 as a summer resort, Lake Ariel Park operated until 1908. Upon its reopening in the 1920s, it rapidly grew into a thriving amusement park, featuring a carousel, dance pavilion, bumper cars, water slides, miniature train and two wooden roller coasters, one of which was called the Cyclone.

On June 12, 1938, a 22-year-old man from Dickson City, Marion Cichocki, lost his life after standing up while riding a roller coaster as his car reached the top of the incline. He lost his balance, fell over the side of the car and plummeted 50 feet, fracturing his skull in the process. He died at a Scranton hospital the following day. 

The park struggled financially after WW2, but it was Mother Nature who put the final nail in Lake Ariel Park's coffin. The lone remaining roller coaster was destroyed by a storm, while a blizzard crushed several rides, stands and  park buildings a short time later. The park closed permanently in 1958.

Edgewood Park (Northumberland County)

The "Touring the Alps" scenic railway at Edgewood Park

Established as Indian Park in 1893, this park once stood outside of Shamokin in Coal Township. In 1905, the name was changed to Edgewood Park and was serviced by the Shamokin & Edgewood Electric Railway, bringing thousands of revelers to the 75-acre amusement grounds. In addition to a roller skating rink, dance pavilion and man-made lake, Edgewood Park boasted one of the largest assortment of rides in eastern Pennsylvania. Some of the signature rides included a mining-themed side-friction roller coaster named the "School of Mines", a scenic railway roller coaster, a fun house and an arcade known as the Temple of Mirth. An enormous concrete swimming pool was added in 1926. 

On June 12, 1927, one unfortunate park visitor lost his life on the scenic railway's dip. Michael Ballock, a 23-year-old salesman from Shamokin, was riding the coaster when a gust of wind blew off his hat. Ballock instinctively leaped to his feet, only to be thrown from the car. He landed on the boardwalk, sustaining a fractured skull, and died en route to Shamokin Hospital.

Despite this fatality, Edgewood Park continued to thrive for several more decades, outlasting numerous amusement parks that were done in by the Great Depression. The park closed permanently in 1964, the same year as Shamokin's centennial.