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Twist after woman is struck by roller coaster in freak accident

The family of a 26-year-old woman fighting for life after she was struck by a roller coaster at the Melbourne Royal Show is considering legal action.

Shylah Rodden was struck by the ride as she went to retrieve her phone in the freak accident last Sunday.

Horrific video that emerged from the incident shows Ms Rodden stepping on to the tracks without noticing the oncoming carriage hurtling around a loop towards her.

As she bends down to retrieve the phone, she is hit and dragged along the tracks before being thrown nine metres to the ground. She remains in hospital in critical condition.

Ms Rodden’s dad, Alan Rodden, said on Monday his daughter was going to be in a coma "for quite a while" after sustaining devastating injuries in the accident.

Shylah Rodden poses in a selfie.
Shylah Rodden was struck by the ride as she went to retrieve her phone. Source: Facebook

"The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She's brain damaged. It's pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck – there's hardly a thing that's not broken. I just can't work out how the hell so much damage has been done," Mr Rodden told the Daily Mail.

“Even the doctors have said they haven't seen anything as bad as this for a long time.”

Now just a week since the incident, lawyers representing the family have said they are not ruling out legal action.

“We are investigating issuing proceedings against the Melbourne Show and the ride operator. It will be an action in negligence," Arnold Thomas and Becker practice manager Aki Munir told The Herald Sun.

Ms Rodden is also being represented by the firm in a separate civil action in relation to an incident in 2018.

A video showing the moment Shylah Rodden appeared to climb onto roller coaster tracks.
A video shared on social media appears to show the moment Ms Rodden climbed onto the tracks and was hit. Source: TikTok via Seven News

Melbourne Royal Show announced earlier last week the ride had been cleared to reopen following an investigation to determine the ride was safe.

“The safety and well-being of our visitors to the Show continues to be our number one priority,” the statement said.

“Strict safety protocols are upheld in line with Victorian WorkSafe regulations. All rides on site have undergone stringent compliance inspections and have passed all the required safety documentation.”

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