A 38-year-old man tragically lost his life after being struck by a roller coaster at the Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. The incident occurred on Wednesday night, and the man, identified as Arntanaro Nelson from Wilmington, Ohio, suffered a severe and traumatic injury.

According to the incident report from the Mason Police Department, Nelson had entered a restricted area near the Banshee roller coaster and was believed to have been struck by the ride at around 8 p.m. park spokesperson confirmed that Nelson had wandered into a fenced-off portion of the park and was hit by the coaster.

Park safety and first aid personnel were immediately at the scene, providing emergency assistance to Nelson. He was quickly transported to the hospital in critical condition. Sadly, Nelson succumbed to his injuries and passed away on Friday, as confirmed by Justin Weber, the chief investigator for the Hamilton County Coroner's Office.

The official cause of Nelson's death is still under investigation, and the final autopsy results are expected to take approximately eight to 10 weeks to be released.

A witness account provided insight into the moments leading up to the incident. According to Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO, Nelson had informed a park employee that he had lost something on the ride and wished to retrieve it. The employee advised him to wait until the ride closed, but Nelson continued to wander near the roller coaster.

It was noted that Nelson had been dressed similarly to park staff, leading some individuals to mistakenly think he was an employee. Eventually, he passed through a restricted gate and entered the restricted area where he was struck by the ride.

In response to the incident, the Banshee roller coaster was temporarily closed as park officials launched an investigation. After ensuring that all necessary safety measures were in place, the ride reopened on Saturday, as reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer.

This unfortunate accident serves as a reminder of the importance of obeying park rules and guidelines for visitor safety. The Kings Island amusement park extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Arntanaro Nelson during this difficult time.

The park is fully cooperating with authorities as they continue their investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.