Roller-Coaster Rider Who Died Misidentified
Friends deliberately misidentified a visitor from Africa who died after riding a roller coaster because they feared she would not be able to receive medical treatment, the family’s lawyer said Thursday.
The woman was Justine Dedele Bolia, 20, said family attorney Aime Katambwe.
The woman died of a brain aneurysm early Saturday at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana after lapsing into unconsciousness during a ride on Montezooma’s Revenge at Knott’s Berry Farm.
She previously had been identified as Gafundi Mekanisi, 25, of Corona.
The coroner’s office was still waiting for family members to supply proper identification before establishing who the victim was, said Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino.
Knott’s reopened the roller coaster Thursday with approval from the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health. State spokeswoman Susan Gard said there was no evidence that the ride contributed to the woman’s death.
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