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Victim opened belt, stood on coaster (STUPID ALERT)
NY Daily News ^ | June 4, 2003 | By AUSTIN FENNER and BILL HUTCHINSON

Posted on 06/04/2003 5:50:00 PM PDT by WellsFargo94

The Manhattan woman thrown to her death from an Indiana roller coaster had unbuckled her seat belt and was "virtually standing up" as the thrill ride careened along at 60 mph, authorities said yesterday. The stunning revelation came as 1,500 relatives and friends attended funeral services for Tamar Fellner, 32, who had earned a Harvard M.B.A. and ran her own business.

Spencer County Prosecutor Jon Dartt said witnesses at the Holiday World & Splashin' Safari park saw Fellner unlatch her seat belt and get up in a bid to get what roller-coaster enthusiasts call air time.

She made the fatal mistake of trying the daredevil move Saturday night on The Raven - one of the world's most terrifying roller coasters, he said.

Fellner, who weighed 100 pounds, was ejected from the car she shared with her fiancé, Robert Weitzner, and plunged 69 feet to her death.

"Witnesses state that near the time of the accident, an individual matching the description of Ms. Fellner was seen in the last car of the roller coaster virtually standing up while the ride was in progress," said Dartt, adding that he was awaiting the results of toxicology tests.

Fellner was a member of American Coaster Enthusiasts, a group of thrill seekers who met over the weekend at the park for the annual Stark Raven Mad Event.

Safety warning

Holiday World spokeswoman Paula Werne said the group had been warned not to tamper with the safety equipment during the 100-second ride.

At a welcoming ceremony the night before the accident, Werne went over the rules, she said.

"I specifically said, 'Leave your seat belt buckled; don't mess with our safety equipment. We're here to have fun,'" Werne told the Daily News yesterday. "We said it, we put it in writing. But yet what you prayed not to happen, unfortunately happened."

Sean Flaharty, a spokesman for American Coaster Enthusiasts, said he was shocked that someone in his group would be so careless. "In my opinion, the ride is thrilling enough," said Flaharty, who rode The Raven moments before the accident.

As The Raven remained shut yesterday, 1,500 people filled Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston, N.J., for Fellner's funeral.

"She was spirited and intelligent," said Arianna Patterson, a member of the temple where Felner's father, Azriel Fellner, is the rabbi. "She was always trying to better herself and help people. Her death makes no sense."

With Chelsea Phua


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: coaster; rollercoaster; victim
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1 posted on 06/04/2003 5:50:01 PM PDT by WellsFargo94
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To: WellsFargo94
Her death makes no sense.

Of course not. This is a 'Darwin Award' winner if I ever saw one.

2 posted on 06/04/2003 5:51:45 PM PDT by LibKill (MOAB, the greatest advance in Foreign Relations since the cat-o'-nine-tails!)
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To: WellsFargo94
She was spirited and intelligent

Spirited - quite likely. Intelligent???

3 posted on 06/04/2003 5:53:06 PM PDT by Cachelot (~ In waters near you ~)
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To: WellsFargo94
Her death makes no sense.

Sure it does--you stand up in a roller coaster running at 60mph and you get thrown out. Sounds pretty cut and dried to me.

4 posted on 06/04/2003 5:53:42 PM PDT by randog (Everything works great 'til the current flows.)
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To: WellsFargo94
Amazing. You can't make this stuff up.
5 posted on 06/04/2003 5:53:51 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity (No animals were harmed during the making of this post.)
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: LibKill
Her death makes perfect sense to me. She stood up on a friggin roller coaster during the ride!
7 posted on 06/04/2003 5:54:22 PM PDT by nhoward14
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To: WellsFargo94
Harvard M.B.A.

but dumber than a rock. 'Nuff said.

8 posted on 06/04/2003 5:59:39 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: WellsFargo94
Oy! Whodda thought? A nice Jewish girl from Manhattan's last words were "Y'all watch this!"
9 posted on 06/04/2003 6:01:14 PM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets ("ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS, WE PRINT")
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To: WellsFargo94
Victim opened belt, stood on coaster


This doesn't fit the definition of "victim" It does however fit the definition of stupid
10 posted on 06/04/2003 6:04:52 PM PDT by Damagro
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To: WellsFargo94
Tamar Fellner, 32, who had earned a Harvard M.B.A. and ran her own business....

witnesses at the Holiday World & Splashin' Safari park saw Fellner unlatch her seat belt and get up in a bid to get what roller-coaster enthusiasts call air time....

Fellner, who weighed 100 pounds, was ejected from the car and plunged 69 feet to her death....

"She was spirited and intelligent," said Arianna Patterson.

Wonder where her "spirit" is now?

11 posted on 06/04/2003 6:05:59 PM PDT by The Brush
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To: WellsFargo94
Tamar Fellner,

The Curse of the Last Name Fulfillment once again surfaces.

12 posted on 06/04/2003 6:06:36 PM PDT by small voice in the wilderness
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To: WellsFargo94
One bright spot to this story though, she is out of the gene pool. Natural selection wins another one
13 posted on 06/04/2003 6:07:56 PM PDT by Damagro
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To: WellsFargo94

The Raven

14 posted on 06/04/2003 6:07:59 PM PDT by scan58
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To: WellsFargo94
She was a risk taking educated idiot! RIP
15 posted on 06/04/2003 6:08:06 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets
"Hold muh Matzah and watch this!"
16 posted on 06/04/2003 6:08:14 PM PDT by Flyer (© 1999 - 2003)
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To: WellsFargo94
Hold muh bee
             e
              e
              e
              e
              e
              r!

17 posted on 06/04/2003 6:08:30 PM PDT by Redcloak (All work and no FReep makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no FReep make s Jack a dul boy. Allwork an)
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To: WellsFargo94
Harvard M.B.A.

Clearly she wasn't a physics major...

18 posted on 06/04/2003 6:11:16 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: WellsFargo94
"Witnesses state that near the time of the accident, an individual matching the description of Ms. Fellner was seen in the last car of the roller coaster virtually standing up while the ride was in progress,"

In my mind if someone deliberately overrides safety features, deliberately ignores safety instructions, and deliberately takes foolish risk the foreseeable consequences of those deliberate actions cannot be termed an accident.

The park and its owners must be held blameless in this tragedy. Some gold digging ambulance chaser will no doubt argue that the ride should have had tamper proof restraints. But people (especially those of intelligence as this woman obviously was despite her actions) will find a way to overcome obstacles to there desires.

This woman was seeking the ultimate thrill. She got it.

19 posted on 06/04/2003 6:11:18 PM PDT by Pontiac
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To: WellsFargo94
No victim. Apparent involuntary suicide.
20 posted on 06/04/2003 6:11:54 PM PDT by Consort
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