A couple who say they were injured in a roller coaster wreck at the Salem Fair last summer have filed two $1 million lawsuits against the ride’s operator.

George Roseberry and Brittney Simms suffered “severe and permanent injuries” on the Riptide roller coaster when the car they were riding in came to a stop and was rear-ended by a second car, according to lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

The lawsuits name Deggeller Attractions, the Florida company that contracts with Salem to provide most of the fair’s amusement rides.

Deggeller, in turn, is blaming the crash on Roseberry.

To read the rest of the story from today’s (1/31/12) Roanoke Times by reporter Laurence Hammack, click here.