Roller Coaster Disaster: 5 Injured at Six Flags Great Adventure on El Toro Ride
Police were called to the park.
Multiple people were injured on a roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey on Thursday night, after a suspected malfunction on the ride. Police were called to the scene and five people were taken to hospital. "From what I know, maintenance has know about it and they have tried fixing it. But for how it is, it just keeps happening," an employee told CBS2. "The employees keep telling them that there is an issue with the pothole and maintenance has done nothing about it." The theme park says it's fixed now. Here's what happened.
The incident happened on the El Toro roller coaster, which can reach speeds of 70 miles per hour with a drop of 176 feet, according to Six Flags. 14 people were said to be injured after the ride, and five were taken to a local hospital. The Jackson Township Police Department told the New York Post that said the injuries suffered were minor.
According to the Post, one parkgoer said it felt like the roller coaster "hit a pothole." Another says she may have chipped her tooth on the ride, and one rider said multiple people accidentally bit their tongues. There are also reports of neck and back injuries.
According to officials with the Department of Community Affairs, people at the park witnessed the roller coaster jolting while in motion, and heard it make a loud bang. "The ride will remain closed for inspection," says Six Flags. "Any maintenance and repairs necessary will be completed and the ride will be re-inspected by our engineers, maintenance professionals, our 3rd party independent safety inspectors and the state of NJ prior to re-opening."
El Toro will remain closed until inspectors can examine the roller coaster and find out what might have happened. This isn't the first time that particular ride has got into hot water: According to NBC New York, El Toro was forced to temporarily close in June 2021 when the rear wheels lifted right off the track. No one was injured, but the park was still fined $5,000 for not alerting authorities immediately.
Six Flags released a statement following the partial derailment in 2021: "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."
