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Six Flag Texas Giant Roller Coaster: Woman Falls to Her Death in Tragic Accident

By Jennifer Broderick | Update Date: Jul 20, 2013 12:05 AM EDT

A rollercoaster ride turned deadly for one woman as she rode the world's tallest steel-hybrid coaster at Six Flags in Texas, and tragically fell to her death Friday night, according to the Dallas News.

The Arlington amusement park confirmed the death of the woman, but gave few details beyond reporting that Six Flags' medical staff and Arlington paramedics had responded immediately. The victim's name was not released. However, witnesses told local media outlets that the woman fell.

Six Flags officials offered their condolences to the woman's family as investigators began to study the cause of the accident, which occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. Although the ride was closed, the park remained open through the evening.

According to the report, investigators were interviewing witnesses on the ride, some of whom reported that the woman had been thrown from the roller coaster as it rounded a turn.

The ride, called the Texas Giant, first opened in 1990 as the world's tallest wooden roller coaster but was closed in November 2009 to convert it to a steel-and-wood hybrid. When it reopened in April 2011, the expanded coaster offered a smoother ride and a higher top speed of 65 mph. It features a 79-degree drop and three turns that are sharper than 90 degrees.

Six Flags Over Texas tweeted that the section of the park with the Texas Giant had been temporarily closed. The park also said it was "deeply saddened" about the woman's death.

"We are deeply saddened to share that earlier this evening an adult woman died in the park while on the Texas Giant. Park medical staff and local paramedics responded immediately. Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends during this difficult time," Six Flags said in a statement following the accident.

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