Wounded Iraqi Vet Dies in Fall from Rollercoaster

James Hackemer was on his second tour of duty in Iraq in March of 2008. He was in the military police on convoy escort duty. His vehicle hit an IED and Hackemer was badly wounded as were the other soldiers in the vehicle, although not as severely. One leg was amputated at the hip and the other at the knee. He suffered a severe brain injury and a stroke that required months of rehabilitation in both military and Veterans Administration hospitals.

Hackemer has been living with his parents in Gowanda, New York. On Friday, he went to the Darien Lake Theme Park with his sisters and his children for an outing. Something went dreadfully wrong.

Just after 5 pm, Hackemer fell or was ejected from the Ride of Steel, one of the top roller coaster attractions in the park. He was fatally injured. His children were not present when the accident occurred.

The ride is currently closed while investigators examine the scene and the machinery involved. The seat he was in had both a restraining bar and a seat belt. Authorities would not comment any further pending the completion of their investigation.

Sergeant James Hackemer is featured on the Veterans Administration website for its Polytrauma / TBI system of care. There is a collection of photos of him on Flickr. The Sun Chronicle profiled him and his recovery in June of 2008. The Soldiers Angels organization featured Hackemer's story for Father's Day in June, 2008.

Hackemer comes from a military family. Along with his ex-wife, Alycia, he had three sibling who served. He was the youngest of six. His two daughters, Addison, 3, and Kaelynn, 4, now live with their mother in Newport News. Family members told the Buffalo News that he had just returned from Walter Reed Army Hospital where he had been fitted for prosthetic legs. The outing with his children, along with two of his sisters and their families, was somewhat of a celebration of that progress. He was not wearing any prosthetics at the time of the accident.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Department and the New York State Labor Department are continuing their investigation. The ride is shutdown until then. The park is open as usual.