Wednesday, September 13th 2023, 5:35 pm
In the summer of 2019, a 6-year-old boy and his father were hit by a branch while riding a roller coaster at Frontier City. Ben was six years old when this incident happened. He is now 10, and his mother says he still feels pain daily.
The family is still seeking better park maintenance, to protect anyone else from injury.
"The branch, as I was trying to brace and block it from my son, went into my arm and hit me in the face," said Ryan Wilson, Ben's father.
As the father and son were enjoying the thrill on the tracks, a tree limb straddling the rails hit Ben and his neck snapped.
"We had a revision surgery this last February, and it gave him some relief for a little while," said Amy Wilson, Ben's mother.
It was a difficult day for the Wilson family to recall.
Now, four years later, the family's attorney says there needs to be more done to secure better this ride. Jeff Aktkins took the maintenance manager's deposition in February of 2022.
"He admitted that they are not in compliance with their own policy and procedures regarding the trees, but they are trying to get there," said Jeff Atkins, attorney.
Since 2016, state documents of inspections have noted the trees around the coaster to be an issue.
In early 2019, the park hired an arborist to inspect the surrounding trees. The letter says the tree appears healthy next to or over the roller coaster but was concerned that weather could cause trees or branches to fall or break onto the ride.
Now, the Wilson family seeks justice, the judge is set to schedule the trial in January.
As for Ben's mom, she wants other mothers to know the risks.
"I want everyone to be safe," said Wilson.
In 2019, after the incident, the park sent this statement to News 9: "The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority."
Tevis Hillis, a proud Oklahoma native, anchors the weekend morning news. She also covers breaking news, education, and topics relevant to people in their 20s for her weekday audience. In addition to her on-air role, Tevis is an adjunct professor for OU Nightly, mentoring over 160 students each semester.
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