A Texas woman, Nicola Parker, 60, was allegedly thrown from her cart and dragged along the track of the Rocky Mountain Coaster at Copper Mountain resort in Colorado on 17 August, according to a statement from her lawyers. The ride has since been shut down while Colorado's Division of Oil & Public Safety investigates, a case that raises questions about the safety of the increasingly popular mountain-coaster attraction and could result in fines or a permanent closure order if violations are found.

Parker's attorneys say a sharp turn on the 5,800-foot track, which descends 430 vertical feet and allows carts to reach speeds of up to 25mph, ejected her from her seat, after which she was dragged for 20 to 30 seconds while tangled in her seatbelt. She suffered a separated shoulder, a punctured and collapsed lung, a traumatic brain injury and deep lacerations, and has undergone three surgeries. Her lawyers argue that safety mechanisms on the ride, which stop the cart if a seatbelt is unfastened, prove she was properly restrained, while Copper Mountain has said it is cooperating with the investigation and wished her a speedy recovery. No lawsuit has yet been filed, pending the outcome of the state inquiry.