By Craig Webb
Akron Beacon Journal
SANDUSKY, Ohio — Cedar Point will reopen the Raptor roller coaster Friday – a day after a park guest was struck and killed while retrieving a lost item.
Park spokesman Bryan Edwards said state inspectors have examined the coaster and found no structural issues or operational issues after the mishap.
Edwards said park employees will also perform a routine safety check of the ride.
Authorities say around 5 p.m. Thursday James Young, 45, of East Canton, climbed into a fenced, restricted area of the Raptor to retrieve an item and was struck and killed by the coaster.
Young apparently had lost his cell phone and jumped over a fence to retrieve it and was struck from behind by the coaster.
Paramedics tried to revive Young, but he died at the park.
Edwards said the park is cooperating with authorities.
“Safety is our highest priority at the park,” he said.
No one riding on the coaster was injured.
Young was a teacher at Louisville schools and graduated from Walsh University. He also took post-graduate classes at the University of Akron.
The $12 million coaster opened in 1994 and broke a number of world records at the time.
It is located just off the park’s main midway and reaches a top speed of 57 miles per hour and turns its riders upside down six times.
The coaster is among the park’s most popular attractions.
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©2015 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)