Teacher struck, killed by roller coaster at Ohio amusement park

CLEVELAND — An Ohio man died after being hit by a roller coaster ride on Thursday at the Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, a park spokesman said.

According to the Washington Post, the victim was 45-year-old James Young, a fifth-grade teacher from East Canton, Ohio. 

Young entered a restricted fenced-in area under the Raptor roller coaster shortly after he had been on the ride and was struck in the back of the head, Sandusky police Assistant Chief Phil Frost told reporters.

Authorities believe Young was looking for personal items he may have dropped during his ride on the Raptor, a steel inverted roller coaster built in 1994 that sends patrons speeding upside down at times, park spokesman Bryan Edwards said.

The accident happened around 5 p.m. local time, Edwards said.

An investigation is ongoing and Sandusky police said they interviewed witnesses to the accident, Frost said.

The park, about 60 miles west of Cleveland, said in a statement: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this time."