Neat video, and it looks like it was a pretty park.
Any evidence for the story about the person being flung off the coaster onto the highway. I've heard apocryphal versions of the same story attached to a few different parks, but never any evidence for any of them actually happening. And couldn't find any stories or evidence of any roller coaster incidents at Springlake either. it makes me wonder if it's another of the horror stories that got passed around that everyone believed but never actually happened.
We were later told some white kids had pushed a black kid from the roller coaster and that it had set the blacks off. I still dont know the truth, to this day.
Yes, it did happen on the Big Dipper. My dad witnessed the white kid pushing the black kid off the coaster and after all of that happened, my dad hurried to the area where the black kid fell to his death and took some pictures. We still have those pictures of the black kid laying dead on the ground.
Thanks. Using that info, it led me to an article at http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2007/04/springlake.html with the following interesting quote:
QuoteWe were later told some white kids had pushed a black kid from the roller coaster and that it had set the blacks off. I still dont know the truth, to this day.
Later on there was someone that repliedQuoteYes, it did happen on the Big Dipper. My dad witnessed the white kid pushing the black kid off the coaster and after all of that happened, my dad hurried to the area where the black kid fell to his death and took some pictures. We still have those pictures of the black kid laying dead on the ground.
So I'm guessing that's the story that your mom had heard and used. Interesting story, and even more sad as it sounds like racial bigotry was the actual real cause.