On March 27, during the University of Chester’s Chestival event, a fairground ride called Superstar broke apart, resulting in a large panel hitting students on board. Caitlin Colclough, a student from Kidsgrove, was struck by the panel and was taken to the hospital with concussion and whiplash. The incident was captured on video, showing pieces falling from the ride and causing chaos. Caitlin’s family was distraught watching the footage and expressed concern about the University and Students’ Union’s response to the incident. Caitlin underwent a CT scan, which came back clear, but she experienced symptoms like blurred vision and headaches following the incident.
The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation into the incident, which took place just over an hour into the Chestival event. Despite the ride breaking apart, the event continued, but the ride was shut down. Caitlin’s mum, Mandy Hancock, criticized the lack of communication from the University and Students’ Union following the incident, expressing disappointment in the support provided. Chester Students’ Union stated that the incident had been reported to the HSE, and both the Union and the University’s Wellbeing team were in contact with the affected students. Two students were taken to the hospital as a precaution, and they were discharged on the same day. One person was confirmed to have been taken to the hospital, but there were no serious injuries reported.
Following the incident, the University and Students’ Union have faced criticism for their response to the situation. Caitlin’s family expressed concerns about the lack of information and support provided post-accident. The experience has led to questioning what changes can be made moving forward to improve safety measures at such events. Despite the harrowing incident, Caitlin’s CT scan results were clear, indicating that she did not sustain serious injuries. The incident has raised awareness about the importance of ensuring the safety of fairground rides and the response protocols in case of accidents. The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive will shed more light on the causes of the ride’s malfunction and prevent such incidents in the future.
