In Tarrant County lawsuit against Six Flags, man alleges negligence in roller coaster fire
A man who alleges he inhaled smoke while he was restrained on a roller coaster that was on fire last year in Arlington has filed a lawsuit against Six Flags Over Texas and its parent corporation.
Connor Spitzig alleges in the suit that proper maintenance and inspection would have prevented the April 10, 2022, fire on Mr. Freeze that occurred while the ride was in a tunnel. Spitzig, who was in a seat in the front row of the car at the front of the ride, was locked in with other passengers by a lap bar.
Spitzig, who is 33, was in Arlington to attend a funeral and went to the amusement park before returning to his home in Venice, California, said Amber Russell, an attorney who, with Jean Phillips, represents the plaintiff.
Spitzig also alleges in the suit, which was filed on Tuesday in state district court in Tarrant County, that his extrication was delayed for a period that increased his smoke inhalation and trauma.
It took an employee at least 10 minutes to free the passengers from their seats, Russell said. The employee had not been trained on emergency lap bar release protocol, Russell said. Spitzig and three others were taken to a hospital.
The fire was caused by an overheated motor, according to an Arlington Fire Department record cited in the suit.
A Six Flags Over Texas spokesperson declined a reporter’s request to release information about the maintenance and inspection of the motor prior to the fire or to offer an assessment of the passenger evacuation.
The fire was extinguished before Arlington firefighters arrived. A Six Flags employee suffered a minor injury.
“First responders arrived just in time to prevent the loss of life, but not before the riders suffered injuries and extreme trauma,” Russell and Phillips wrote in the suit’s petition. Spitzig seeks damages over $1 million.
Russell and Phillips in the petition described the roller coaster’s operation during Spitzig’s time on it.
“The ride shoots the passengers out of the boarding area at 70 mph and runs the course backward and then forward. Near the end of the ride, the train returns through a dark tunnel before the exit. Instead of reaching the exit, the cars suddenly skidded to a stop. The ride was malfunctioning, but there was nothing the riders could do. The restraints were still locked, holding them in place.”
Smoke billowed in front and beside the front car.
