Sunday, June 29, 2008

Six Flags Accident

Many of you have seen the news about a teenage boy who was killed this weekend at Six Flags Over Georgia. According to all reports I have seen and read, he and a friend were visiting the park with a group from their South Carolina church and left the park to get lunch. They decided to try to cut through some restricted areas to re=enter the park rather than go through the main gate like every one else is supposed to do.

They scaled two fences, both marked with signs describing the area as restricted and dangerous. One of the two boys was struck by a passing roller coaster and died instantly as he was decapitated.

Tonight on www.ajc.com, the web site for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution there is a quote from the dead boy's father, who was also at the park on Saturday. He said, "He didn't do anything wrong," Ferguson said. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

While the story says the family does not blame the park, why is it they can not lay blame on their idiot son? "He didn't do anything wrong." What is correct about trespassing, scaling two 6-foot fences and placing himself, his companion, and the riders of the roller coaster in danger? "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Is there a right time to be in the wrong place? He was struck by a roller coaster that runs at speeds up to 50 m.p.h. A similar incident involving a Six Flags employee a few years ago resulted in the employee's death and the hospitalization of a passenger on the ride. Would it have taken a passenger being injured or this boy's head flying off and injuring his friend in some way for the father to think his son did any wrong?

It is people like these that make the Darwin Awards possible.

3 comments:

Rebecca said...

Whoah, what a nasty way to go. But like said, Darwin Awards, some people are just too dumb to exist.

Jillie Bean (AKA Bubba's Sis) said...

Couldn't agree more! I guess you just can't get on the news and say, "My son was a dumbass."

Unknown said...

Here is where I disagree just a bit. What a stupid, horrible mistake this person made and the person that went with him. I hate to judge a person based on just one decision. But at the same time, if you talk about this in real life and not in blog world, this is how I hear everyone talking about him and his family.

Im sure the father knows what a stupid decision was made but to also have to grieve has to be hard!