Ohio official slams Kings Island over Son of Beast

Ohio state-appointed ride inspecter Rick Schmizze has slammed Kings Island management for what he considers "negligent" construction of the Son of Beast roller coaster. Schmizze claims that park owners knew as early as 2000 of various defects found in the roller coaster's construction that "put passengers at risk." Of the problems Schmizze cites, the most concerning may be the high level of sway the wooden coaster experiences, possibly due inferior wood used in construction, that causes bolts to loosen and wooden slats to separate.

"They would fix them in a Band-Aid style and then wait and see what happened," said Schmizze. "They never really stopped and said 'we've got a problem with this ride as a whole.'" The Son of Beast roller coaster has been closed since June 23 following a guest's claim of a burst blood vessel in the brain as a result of riding the coaster. [Journal-News via Theme Park Insider]