Six Flags Roller Coaster Malfunctions Causing Injuries
© AFP 2023 / VALERIE MACONA sign at the entrance of the theme park Six Flags Magic Mountain welcomes the public back on the day of the park's re-opening, April 1, 2021, in Valencia, California. - Six Flags Magic Mountain is the first theme park to re-open in Los Angeles County after closures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
© AFP 2023 / VALERIE MACON
Subscribe
The wooden roller coaster, named El Toro (the bull), is boasted by Six Flags Great Adventure to be “one of the fastest and tallest wooden runs on Earth.” “This beast bucks wildly so hang on tight!” the company writes on their website. The roller coaster is 19 stories tall and has a 176 foot drop while reaching a speed of 70 mph.
The El Toro roller coaster at Six Flags amusement park in Jackson, New Jersey, has been shut down after it malfunctioned Thursday evening.
The thrilling ride injured at least 14 people, five of whom had to be treated at a nearby hospital, a Six Flags spokesperson said. Several patrons reported back pain, as well as neck pain, and one individual reportedly bit their tongue.
Towards the end of the ride, passengers experienced a bump that one loyal Six Flags patron, who says El Toro is her “favorite coaster in the park,” described was like hitting a pothole.
"I knew something was wrong because I've ridden that roller coaster so many times," said Holly Core of Bensalem, Pennsylvania. "Some people said, 'I bit my tongue, I think my tongue's bleeding.' I heard someone say their back was hurting.”
Six Flags says that those who were being treated at the hospital have since been released.
"The ride completed its normal cycle and all guests exited the ride without need of assistance. The ride will remain closed for inspection. 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 N.J. prior to re-opening," a Six Flags spokesperson said.
This isn’t the first time El Toro has malfunctioned.
In February of this year, Six Flags was fined by the state of New Jersey for failing to notify the Department of Community Affairs that there had been a derailment of the El Toro ride in June of 2021. The park was fined $5,000 for a failure to notify the agency.