Worker at Disney in Amusement Park Accident

Orlando, FLWhile theme parks are generally well-oiled machines, accidents can and do happen—even the high-end parks like Disney World in Orlando, where the world comes to play and where safety is paramount. Nonetheless, the potential for Theme Park Accidents are a fact of life at an amusement park. In this case, a worker at Disney World lost his life after being struck by a moving ride in the process of undergoing maintenance.

In what was described as the second death associated with Disney World's Primeval Whirl ride, 52-year-old Russell Sherry Roscoe died March 14 from a massive head injury after being struck a day earlier.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that the popular ride, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom, had been closed for routine maintenance. Roscoe had been working on the ride, although the nature of the repair or maintenance was not disclosed.

The contents of a 911 call published in the Sentinel provides a chilling backdrop to an event that happened outside of the view of patrons at the beginning of the annual March break.

"We need somebody right now," an unidentified co-worker tells a 911 dispatcher. "One of our maintenance guys got hit by a moving vehicle. He got in the way of a moving vehicle.

"We're trying to keep him conscious," the caller shouts to the 911 dispatcher, before offering encouragement to the victim. "Stay conscious, please! Stay with us—stay with us, man!"

Roscoe was given first aid by co-workers as they waited for paramedics. The victim of the horrific theme park accident was airlifted to the Orlando Regional Medical Center suffering from a massive head injury. He succumbed to his injuries the next morning at the hospital.

His is the second of the Amusement Park deaths associated with the Primeval ride. Four years ago an employee of Disney World was working on an elevated rider-loading platform, when the woman was struck by one of the rollercoaster vehicles as it went past. Karen Price, 63, died five days later. Price was working as a ride attendant when the roller coaster accident happened.

According to reports the Disney employee was struck by a passing car in what Disney describes as a ''mild rollercoaster'' and was knocked to the ground, hitting her head in the process. Following the accident, Disney renovated the platform and installed sensors that would facilitate shutting down the ride if anyone ventured into a particular area. Disney was charged with five safety violations, according to the Sentinel, and fined $21,000 in that particular Amusement Park Accident.