Son of Beast cleared by state, remains closed

Investigators for the Ohio Department of Agriculture have ended their six-week probe into whether or not the Son of Beast had caused a woman's injury, and have reported that an inspection of the Kings Island wooden coaster "revealed no irregularities," clearing it for re-opening. Kings Island officials, on the other hand, have "not decided what steps they plan to take concerning the ride," the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

"If Kings Island wishes to reopen the ride, they would have to consult with our Amusement Ride Safety Division," said Kaleigh Frazier, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees the safety division. "Because Kings Island does not know what action they are going to take with the ride ... with that lapse of time we want to make sure we can re-inspect that ride before it reopens in case any modifications are made."

Neither the park nor state officials would say whether or not any further modifications to the ride, which has already undergone drastic changes with the removal of its signature loop, will be made. Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig said "though I would like to have an exact date, it would be inappropriate to speculate on when exactly the ride may re-open."

For more information on the Son of Beast complaint and subsequent investigation, see the following articles:

Son of Beast closed following rider complaint
Son of Beast rider had burst blood vessel