Woman hit by rollercoaster to face court on theft charges

She is still unable to communicate with family and friends

A woman who has been left bedridden after a horrific rollercoaster crash is set to face court over allegations of theft.

Shylah Rodden, 26, was at the Melbourne Royal Show in Australia on September 25, 2022, when it's believed she walked onto the track of a rollercoaster to retrieve a dropped phone.

She suffered "horrific" injuries when she was hit by a Rebel Coaster carriage and dragged upwards before falling from a height of around nine meters. She suffered extensive injuries to her head, pelvis, arms, legs and back, and was placed in a medically induced coma on her arrival at Royal Melbourne Hospital. At the start of December, hospital staff confirmed she had woken up from the coma and that her condition was stable. Her family said at the time that she was still unable to communicate. [caption id="attachment_373388" align="alignnone" width="730"] Shocking footage shows Shylah on the track before being hit by the rollercoaster and carried some nine metres in the air[/caption]

Despite her condition, public court records show Shylah is scheduled to appear in a Melbourne court on Wednesday on theft charges alongside lawyers from Melbourne's SLKQ Lawyers.

The Daily Mail reports that the court hearing is likely to be adjourned due to the fact Shylah is still unable to communicate.

The allegations surrounding the charges are unavailable to the public.

Police sources said the charges relate to an incident that occurred before the 26-year old's accident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFNqKb_gWFA Following the accident, a GoFundMe was set up by a friend of the family, Sylvia Dess, to help cover the costs of Shylah's recovery. At the time of writing, the page has raised A$27,208, beating its A$20,000 goal. The CEO of the Melbourne Royal Show, Brad Jenkins, labelled the incident at the show as a "tragic accident." "From our understanding, there was a mobile phone at the base of the Rebel Coaster that she dropped on the ride and she went back to recover the mobile phone," he said. "Regrettably, she was tragically struck by the cart coming down. "It is an extreme rollercoaster which is a lot of fun generally, but this was a tragic accident that shouldn’t have happened." He added that the rollercoaster had not malfunctioned and the operator of the ride was experienced, reassuring the public that the rides at the show are "entirely safe."