Western-Star.com

The Son of Beast likely won't reopen before Kings Island finishes its regular season Aug. 23.

"I would say that's a real possibility," said LeeAnne Mizer, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees amusement ride safety.

State investigators hired Richard Schimizze, a physical engineer, to do a complete assessment of the Son of Beast's structural integrity, Mizer said.

"He will do a full inspection and try and figure out why this happened," she said.

Investigators believe a splintered support timber caused a jolt on the Son of Beast July 9 that sent 27 riders to area hospitals.

One rider, Melissa Eberle, filed a civil lawsuit in Warren County Common Pleas Court July 21 after spending four days at Bethesda North Hospital in Montgomery with a broken sternum.

Both Paramount Parks and new owner Cedar Fair are named in the suit. Kings Island officials declined comment on the pending lawsuit.

Hiring an outside expert to inspect a ride after an accident isn't common, Mizer said.

"It isn't something we do frequently, because ride accidents like this don't happen frequently," she said.

Schimizze started his inspection July 21. His findings will be included in the Department of Agriculture's final report, expected by the end of summer.

Paramount Parks claimed the beams supporting the coaster were deficient in a November 2000 lawsuit against the ride's manufacturers. The ride opened after the park spent $25,000 to correct problems.

Ride design and construction is left up to the parks and not regulated by the state, Mizer said.

"Our inspectors are not engineers," she said. "We do not come in, as far as approval, until the ride is completed."

There have been three other accidents on the Son of Beast since its opening, but state investigators found no ride malfunction.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or cmagan@coxohio.com.