Shylah Rodden: Critically injured rollercoaster crash victim to face court on theft charges
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Shylah Rodden, who was the victim of a horrific rollercoaster crash in September, is reportedly scheduled to appear in a Melbourne court later this week on theft-related charges. The 26-year-old currently remains in intensive care at Royal Melbourne Hospital as she continues to battle for her life after being thrown into the air by the 70km/h Rebel Coaster at the Melbourne Royal Show on September 24.
Despite her critical condition, Shylah will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, January 11 alongside her attorneys from Melbourne's SLKQ Lawyers. Police sources told Daily Mail that the allegations against Shylah are related to an event that took place before her tragic accident. The court hearing is likely to be adjourned as she remains unable to communicate with friends and family.
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The reports of Shylah’s court hearing came days after it was revealed that she has been in a stable condition after being brought out of a medically-induced coma in November. Shylah’s close friends recently told Daily Mail that her condition is classed as stable but she is still not able to communicate with anyone. Her supportive family remains committed to caring for her upon her eventual release from the hospital.
Shylah suffered severe brain damage after a fast-moving rollercoaster flung her nine meters into the air in September last year. Rodden is believed to have walked onto the track of the Rebel Coaster ride to retrieve her phone when she was struck by a moving carriage. Soon after the incident, her father Alan Rodden told Daily Mail Australia she had suffered life-changing injuries. "I can't talk to my daughter. She's going to be in a coma for quite a while," he said. "The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She's brain-damaged. It's pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck - there's hardly a thing that's not broken. I just can't work out how the hell so much damage has been done. Even the doctors have said they haven't seen anything as bad as this for a long time."
UPDATE: Video has been located (and forwarded to VicPolice) of the actual incident from the Royal Melbourne Show. Police have handed the investigation over to @WorkSafe_Vic who have cleared the ride to reopen today. pic.twitter.com/lmj5gXHdCI
— Peak Hour Images (@PeakHourImages) September 27, 2022
A GoFundMe page was also set up to help with Shylah's recovery. The fundraiser has so far raised more than $23,000 and remains open despite reaching its $20,000 target. One of Shylah’s close friends recently stated the money raised from the fundraiser would go towards helping Shylah's long road to recovery. "People are under the impression that this money is just for her family. But people need to know this money is for Shylah's recovery," the friend said. "This money will go towards her therapy, her rehabilitation, and things they need to change around the house for showering and toilet needs."