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Decades On, Questions Persist Over 1984 Disneyland Matterhorn Death

A new retrospective reports that investigators could not determine whether a released seatbelt or a failure led to Dolly Regene Young’s ejection.

Overview

  • Dolly Regene Young, 47, was thrown from a Matterhorn Bobsled car in 1984 and was killed when struck by an oncoming sled estimated at about 20 mph.
  • Investigators said her seatbelt was unfastened but did not establish whether it was deliberately undone or malfunctioned.
  • Disneyland spokesman Bob Roth said no mechanical breakdown was found and that Young’s companions realized her absence only when the ride ended.
  • Contemporary reports indicate the ride was halted within roughly 30 seconds, closed immediately, and was understood to have reopened the next day.
  • The retrospective also notes a prior fatality on the ride in 1964 involving 15-year-old Mark Maples, with witnesses suggesting he may have unbuckled his belt on the single-file attraction.