Shylah Rodden was left fighting for her life after the incident at the Melbourne Royal Show. Photo / Supplied, File
A young woman who was left fighting for life after being hit by a rollercoaster while trying to retrieve a phone from the tracks will face court on theft charges.
Shylah Rodden, 26, is still recovering in hospital after being thrown into the air by the 70km/h Rebel Coaster at the Melbourne Royal Show in September.
She will face Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday over theft allegations from before the horror accident.
She is due back in court in May for a bond hearing.
Details surrounding the alleged incident remain unknown but may come to light in court.
It is likely that Rodden will face court via videolink as she is still facing months of rehabilitation in hospital.
She spent Christmas in hospital, with her family at her bedside, as she continues her recovery from what were life-threatening injuries.
The fairground ride hit her at 70km/h and threw her nine metres into the air. She only recently woke from a coma and is now in stable condition.
A video of the incident showed Rodden, who was working at the show the day of the accident, inside the safety rail of the ride before the coaster hit and dragged her.
A relative said the aftermath of the incident had been “tough” on the family but her mum, Kylie Rodden, was resilient.
“It’s tough but my darling cousin Ky is a strong lady,” they said.
It has been a challenging year for the Rodden family, aside from the awful rollercoaster crash.
Rodden lost her brother shortly before the incident at the Melbourne Royal Show.
She was also the victim of cruel trolling in the wake of the accident, with US comedians making distasteful “jokes” about her in a podcast.
Following the rollercoaster tragedy, Chair of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety, Naomi Kemp, said Rodden should not be blamed for what happened to her.
Kemp said organisers behind theme park rides needed to consider the barriers and fencing which ensured members of the public couldn’t enter a prohibited space.
“We not only have to think about the safety of the ride but also the safety area around the ride that it’s operating in,” she said.
While she stressed neither Rodden nor the ride operators should be blamed, she hoped the incident would lead to change.
WorkSafe is investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy with the assistance of detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit.
The ride was closed for a few days following the incident while compliance checks were made.
Investigations confirmed there were no technical problems with the rollercoaster.
A GoFundMe has been established to support the family through Rodden’s extensive treatment and has raised more than $23,500.
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