of teen decapitated by six flags roller coaster

Teen struck, killed by Six Flags coaster: A 17-year old teenager was decapitated by a passing train (in the "Batman The Ride") after he entered a restricted area at the Six Flags Over Georgia theme park.

A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said.

Six Flags officials are uncertain why the unidentified 17-year-old from Columbia, S.C. scaled two six-foot fences and passed signs that said the restricted area was both off-limits and dangerous to visitors, spokeswoman Hela Sheth said in a news release.

Authorities were investigating reports from witnesses who said the teenager jumped the fences to retrieve a hat he lost while riding the Batman roller coaster, said Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce. Police have declined to release the teenager's name until an autopsy is completed.

The teen was struck and killed by the roller coaster "while it was in operation," according to the park's news release. Police said the ride was going full-speed when the teen was struck. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's website. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. The teen was with another boy who also entered the restricted area but was not injured, Pierce said. Six Flags said it closed the roller coaster after the Saturday afternoon accident out of respect for the teen's family. The ride is expected to reopen on Monday, a spokeswoman said.

The teen and his parents were at the park with a group from the Oakey Spring Baptist Church near Springfield, S.C., police said. There was no answer to a phone call to the church Saturday night.

Previous accidents at Six Flags Over Georgia (information from Wikipedia):
- In May 2002, 58-year-old Samuel Milton Guyton died after he was struck in the head by the legs of a passenger after entering a restricted area during the ride's operation.
- In July 2006, 45-year-old Michael Corry of Birmingham, Alabama died of a heart attack while riding Goliath.
- In May 27, 1984, 34 passengers were injured after a computer malfunction caused the ride's cables to drop the planes out of position.
- On June 3, 1984, a mechanical problem caused a train to stop abruptly, sending four people to a hospital. The ride was repaired and put back into service with no more problems.