Woman struck by roller coaster at Melbourne Royal Show fights for life
A woman is fighting for her life in hospital after being hit by a rollercoaster at the Melbourne Royal Show on Sunday.
Police say the woman, believed to be in her 20s, "may have walked on and entered the track to try and retrieve a dropped phone" before being struck by the carriage at around 5:45pm.
Emergency services were called to the show after the woman was found injured on the ground, Victoria Police said.
She's reportedly suffering from life-threatening head injuries and is being treated at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
'Loud screams' heard from onlookers
A stall owner told the Herald Sun that the ride stopped suddenly. She then heard loud screams from onlookers.
"Everyone was stuck in the ride for one to two hours. The screaming was so loud – I think everyone must have been really scared," she said.
"The ride went up like normal, then there were screams, then it stopped and stayed [like] that."
Victoria Police are investigating the circumstances leading up to the accident.
"Officers are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and a crime scene has been established," they said in a statement.
"It appears at this early stage the woman, believed aged in her 20s, may have walked on and entered the track to try and retrieve a dropped phone before she was hit by a roller-coaster carriage."
BREAKING: a part of the Melbourne Royal Show has been closed off and ride goers have been left stranded on a roller coaster as ambulance crews attend to a young girl believed to have sustained serious head injuries. @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/Lj7gMgaLak
— Sara Jones (@SaraJones_7) September 25, 2022
Investigation launched into show incident
Detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit will work with WorkSafe to determine what happened.
The ride was reportedly shut down following the incident and "will be closed for the foreseeable future" show organisers said in a statement shared by Seven News.
They also said that someone had been injured on the Rebel Coaster ride, but confirmed that "no one has fallen from the ride" as first reported.
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