There is a huge update in the case of the young woman left with irreversible brain damage after being struck by a roller coaster.
Shylah Rodden was catastrophically injured on September 24, 2022, at the Melbourne Royal Show when she was struck by the Rebel Coaster ride.
The then 26-year-old reportedly entered a restricted area to retrieve her dropped mobile phone when the moving ride hit her at high speed. The incident occurred in front of stunned onlookers and sparked widespread shock across Australia. The area was fenced off at the time, and questions were immediately raised about how she managed to access the danger zone.
The impact left Rodden with life-altering injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, blindness in her right eye, deafness in one ear, and the loss of her sense of smell. She also suffered severe cognitive and physical impairments.
Her family described the months following the incident as harrowing, with Shylah initially placed in a coma and undergoing multiple surgeries. While her condition has slowly improved - she has reportedly begun to walk and talk again - her recovery remains far from complete and requires ongoing support and rehabilitation.
Four passengers who witnessed the horrific accident that left Rodden with the brain injury have hit out at the operators of the rollercoaster involved, describing the event as a trauma that continues to haunt them.
Siblings Paige, Chloe and Jordan Loone, along with Jordan’s partner Alexandra Petterd, have filed legal action in the Victorian Supreme Court against both the Royal Agricultural Society (which runs the Royal Melbourne Show) and ride operator Chant Amusements, the Herald Sun reports.
Their lawsuit stems from the September 25, 2022 accident that shocked the world, when Rodden, then 26, was struck by the Rebel Coaster while attempting to retrieve her phone after walking through safety fencing.
The impact hurled her nine metres into the air. Rodden sustained devastating injuries, including severe brain trauma, facial wounds, blindness in one eye and deafness in one ear, according to Mail Online.
Chloe, 28, and Alexandra, 29, were seated in the front row of the rollercoaster when it collided with Rodden at an estimated 70 km/h. They saw her body dragged along the tracks before the ride came to an abrupt stop mid-air. Meanwhile, Paige, 32, and Jordan, 31, were standing nearby, filming the ride when the collision occurred.
“For the two of us on the ride, our cart struck a woman, we saw blood, we heard screaming, and were stuck high off the ground on a 45-degree angle,” the group said in a joint statement, via the Herald Sun. “For the two of us watching, we weren’t sure if our loved ones had fallen off. We had to wait 45 minutes before learning they were safe.”
All four have since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, reporting flashbacks and night terrors. They also claim neither Chant Amusements nor the Royal Agricultural Society ever contacted them after the incident.
Despite the shocking nature of the accident, WorkSafe Victoria later decided not to pursue charges against the Show or the ride operators, concluding that the Rebel Coaster was safe to reopen within days.
That decision deeply upset Rodden’s family, who said they were notified only by letter and were never interviewed by investigators.
“Whilst her recovery has been miraculous, Shylah’s injuries will carry lifelong impacts,” the family’s lawyer Sharlene Mehta said last year.
At the time, a Show spokesperson defended the event’s safety procedures, saying: “The safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority. Strict safety protocols are upheld in line with Victorian WorkSafe regulations.”
Rodden’s rehabilitation has been long and difficult. She continues to rely on a walking frame and wheelchair and must rest frequently.
Now, more than two years on, those who witnessed the tragedy say they are still reliving “the horrible moment” that changed their lives forever.