Toddler Dies After Falling From Roller Coaster in Chicago

NORRIDGE, Ill. -- A 3-year-old boy died Saturday after falling out of a roller coaster at a suburban Chicago amusement park, police said.

The boy was sitting near the front of the Python Pit roller coaster at the Go Bananas amusement park when he got underneath the ride's safety bar, Norridge Police Chief James Jobe said. He suffered head injuries in what Jobe described as "a tragic accident."

The boy was on the ride with his twin brother when he fell out of the coaster while it was moving, Jobe said. The Cook County medical examiner's office said the boy died at the park. Police said a state inspector was at the scene.

A man who answered the phone at the amusement park on Sunday morning and identified himself as the general manager but wouldn't give his name said the park is cooperating with investigators.

"We're certainly very sorrowful," he said.

Authorities said they believe the boy met all the requirements for the ride.

The boy was from the southern Chicago suburb of Dolton. His identity has not been released.