Multiple roller coaster riders hurt at Six Flags Great Adventure theme park
JACKSON - First aid teams were dispatched to Six Flags Great Adventure after multiple park patrons were hurt on the El Toro roller coaster at the theme park Thursday night, according to authorities.
The state Department of Community Affairs was informed via the department's amusement ride incident hotline that witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and seeing the El Toro train jolt during operation, according to department spokesperson Tammori Petty-Dixon.
After the ride finished its normal run, everyone was able to exit without assistance, said Gabriel Darretta, a Six Flags spokesperson.
“Several guests reported back pain and minor injuries after riding El Toro last evening,” Darretta said. “Thirteen guests were evaluated at the park, of which five were taken to a local medical facility for evaluation, where they were treated and released.” The ride remained closed for inspection Friday.
One a neck injury, two back injuries, and two mouth and tongue injuries were treated, according Petty-Dixon.
"Any maintenance and repairs necessary will be completed and the ride will be reinspected by our engineers, maintenance professionals, our third party independent safety inspectors and the state of New Jersey prior to reopening," he said.
The Jackson Police Department was not requested to respond but other first responders were on site to offer medical assistance, authorities said.
The coaster — which is 19 stories tall and includes a drop of 176 feet at a 76-degree angle — reopened this year after a partial derailment last summer.
The Department of Community Affairs had “red-tagged” the wooden roller coaster after the incident on June 29, 2021, meaning that it was removed from operation and placed under an engineering review.
The partial derailment was caused by the rear-up wheel, which prevents the train from lifting, coming up on top of the rail, according to the department. However, no park visitors were injured in that incident.
“All necessary modifications have been completed, and El Toro is expected to reopen this spring following extensive testing, inspections by internal and external experts, and state certification by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs,” the park said in a statement last February.
Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Six Flags Great Adventure: Multiple riders hurt at NJ theme park
