(CNN) — The Texas Giant roller coaster is set to reopen this weekend, nearly two months after a woman plunged to her death on the ride.
The roller coaster will reopen with new safety measures in place, Six Flags Over Texas said in a statement released Tuesday, including redesigned restraint bar pads, new seat belts and a coaster seat at the ride’s entrance for visitors to test their fit before they get in line.
The ride has been closed since July 19, when Rosa Esparza fell out of a car and plummeted to her death.
As park officials trumpeted the ride’s reopening, Esparza’s family filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday, accusing Six Flags of negligence.
According to the lawsuit, Esparza’s daughter heard screams behind her and turned around to see her mother being thrown out of the car.
She was thrown against the ride and then catapulted onto the metal roof of a tunnel below, the lawsuit says, dying from traumatic injuries she sustained.
“As Rosa Esparza’s tragic death starkly illustrates, errors on the part of the Six Flags Defendants turned a thrilling illusion into a nightmarish reality,” the lawsuit says. “Customers of the park expect mock scares and delighted screams as they ride the Texas Giant roller-coaster, but they certainly do not expect to be placed in any real danger, whatsoever.”
Six Flags Over Texas did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit.
In their statement Tuesday, park officials said an investigation had revealed that there had been no mechanical failure on the ride.
“Due to litigation, the company is not releasing any further information about the outcome of the investigation,” the statement said.
Texas state officials have approved the reopening of the ride, the statement said, adding that it had undergone extensive testing.
