Man fighting for life after being smashed in head by 68-mph King's Island 'Banshee' roller coaster

An Ohio man is in critical condition after he was struck in the head by a speeding roller coaster traveling at approximately 68 mph.

The 38-year-old man, who the authorities have not yet identified, is fighting to survive at the University of Cincinnati West Chester Hospital, having been flown by helicopter to UC Main Campus shortly after the harrowing incident, local station WCMH reported.

Mason police told the publication that the man had been near the Banshee, a roller coaster at Kings Island, an amusement park just northeast of Cincinnati. At approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the man entered a restricted area of the park, which is where he was allegedly struck by the coaster.

READ MORE: Kindergarten student struck and killed by school bus while walking to school with mother in New York

READ MORE: Horror high-speed train collision in Chile leaves at least two dead and nine injured

The authorities were called after a parkgoer or employee spotted the man lying on the ground, unresponsive inside the restricted area. He suffered "massive head trauma," local NBC affiliate WLWT reported.

An amusement park spokesperson told the publication that the man had been found in the restricted area and that the ride tops out at 68 mph, but the spokesperson didn't specify where along the ride's path the man was when he was allegedly hit.

No update has since been released on the victim's condition, WCMH reported, and it's unclear not only how the man got into the restricted area but also how the coaster hit him when he was in it.

Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.

The ride was closed on Wednesday night while the authorities and park employees investigated the incident. It remained closed through Thursday afternoon, Fox 59 reported.

A park spokesperson told Fox 59 that safety and first aid personnel were dispatched to the area immediately following the incident and contacted local emergency responders. The spokesperson wrote in a statement, "Kings Island's focus continues to be on the welfare of the guest and his family. There is no additional information to share at this time."

Some Reddit users took to the platform to say they'd seen the man around the ride not long before the tragedy occurred. He was allegedly "frantically" asking employees "about keys he lost on the ride."

Another user said they saw him go in a door meant for employees after several individuals tried to tell him not to. Then, riders said they saw him face down on the ground, not sure if he was alive or not.

The Banshee is one of the two longest steel inverted roller coasters in the world, stretching 4,124 feet. It contains "seven stomach-churning inversions," according to Kings Island's website , and several hills and loops. At its highest, it's 167 feet tall, though it actually stretches to nearly 208 feet amid the terrain changes underneath it.