A ride operator at an Ohio theme park described the "ominous" moment a man retrieving his keys was struck by a roller coaster Wednesday night.
A 38-year-old man who rode the Banshee roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, dropped his keys while on the ride and was pleading with a worker to enter the restricted area to recover them, WCPO-TV reported.
The worker denied him access, but it's believed he snuck in anyway and was struck by the coaster, the park said.
"It was very ominous, and they (riders) were like, 'Oh my God. What's happening? What happened?' The sentiment that was echoed among the people was it was such a loud noise," the anonymous ride operator said, according to WLWT-TV.
He explained, "Everyone on the train was very distraught because they knew something happened."
"Me and a couple others went over to the station and we saw there was a body lying on the ground," the worker recalled.
The victim suffered "major head trauma," authorities said, according to the Indy Star . He was last known to be in critical condition.
The Banshee roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 68 mph, according to the Kings Island website.
The ride will remain closed while the incident is under investigation.
