Cause of boy's roller coaster death 'undetermined,' parents sue
Experts have no idea why a boy died on an Indiana roller coaster in June but his parents are suing the amusement park.
Brayden Cooper-Douglas, 12, from Lafayette, Indiana, was riding the Hoosier Hurricane at Indiana Beach in White County when he died on June 27, reports the Journal & Courier.
Autopsy results list the cause of death as “undetermined.”
“Based on all information known to me at this time, I have no determination as to the cause of death of Brayden Cooper,” Tony Deibel, White County coroner, wrote, the Journal & Courier reported.
The autopsy “revealed no trauma, injury, congenital abnormalities or toxins” and Brayden had “a recent upper respiratory infection,” but that “his past medical history is otherwise unremarkable,” the J&C reported.
Authorities earlier told the J&C that Brayden had a medical emergency that was not caused by the roller coaster or the park.
Why Brayden Cooper-Douglas died while riding the Hoosier Hurricane at Indiana Beach remains “undetermined,” according to autopsy results reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the 12-year-old's parents say in a lawsuit that they blame Indiana Beach. https://t.co/jrB5pSnhB1
— Journal & Courier (@jconline) August 7, 2019
Brayden’s mother and father, Shaeley Cooper and Matthew Douglas, have claimed Indiana Beach was at fault, according to White County court documents accessed by the J&C.
Their lawsuit claims that “negligence of the defendant was the proximate cause of the fatal injuries.”
Brayden Robert Cooper-Douglas
https://t.co/r8GDyi6HHj— Dustin Morris (@DustinM35252607) June 30, 2019
The family of another 12-year-old claimed she was shocked while getting off the same roller coaster two days after Brayden died, reports the J&C.
Read the full story at the Journal & Courier.
Steven Adams is a Tribune-Review manager/photography. You can contact Steven at sadams@triblive.com.
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