Ride that severed legs had no auto shutoff

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A Six Flags amusement park ride that severed a teen's legs last summer in Kentucky wasn't designed to shut down if it malfunctioned, a park official said.

A cable broke June 21 on Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom's Superman Tower of Power ride, severing Kaitlyn Lassiter's legs, The Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal reported.

Lassiter's attorney, Larry Franklin, asked the park's maintenance manager John Schmidt during a November deposition: "So if a cable breaks ... the ride will keep operating as if nothing happened?"

Schmidt said yes, the paper said.

The accident is being investigated by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.