Five people are hospitalized in NJ with back pain after 19-story wooden rollercoaster malfunctioned
Five people were taken to hospital with back pain in New Jersey on Thursday night after a malfunction on one of the fastest and tallest wooden rollercoasters in the world.
Riders on El Toro at Six Flags amusement park in Jackson Township, 20 miles east of Trenton, reported that it felt like the carriages ‘hit a pothole’.
El Toro has a maximum speed of 70mph.
The 26-year-old rollercoaster, 19 stories high with a drop of 176 feet at a 76-degree angle, reopened this year after a partial derailment last summer.
Ambulances are seen at the bottom of El Toro rollercoaster in New Jersey, after it malfunctioned on Thursday night
Five people were taken to hospital with back pain, Six Flags amusement park confirmed
El Toro was built in 2006 and has a top speed of 70mph
The state 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.
It reopened in February, after Six Flags assured people that inspectors had declared it safe.
But the operators are now facing questions as to the future of the landmark ride, after Thursday night’s incident.
A female rider wrote on Facebook that it appeared as if the carriage ‘hit a pothole’ after the third drop, while another rider said they thought they had chipped a tooth.
The ride was closed on Thursday immediately after the 7:30pm incident.
The rollercoaster is facing questions about its future, after it malfunctioned again – having partially derailed in June 2021. It only reopened in February
‘Several guests reported back pain after riding El Toro this evening,’ said Gabriel Darretta, a Six Flags spokesperson.
‘Five guests were taken to a local medical facility for evaluation. The ride is closed for inspection.’
The Jackson Township Police Department said that the injuries were mostly minor and no officers responded to the scene.
