One rider died and several others were injured on Monday on a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, the police said. The Cobb County Police Department said in a statement that the episode happened at 3:58 p.m. at the amusement park in Austell, Ga., about 17 miles west of Atlanta. Details about how the rider died, as well as the number of people injured and their conditions, were not immediately available.
A Six Flags representative said in a statement that park officials and the local authorities had responded immediately, but declined to describe what happened, citing the family’s privacy. The representative also declined to say which roller coaster was involved. The episode on Monday happened less than a month after three people sued Six Flags and S&S Worldwide, a manufacturer of roller coaster vehicles, saying they suffered catastrophic brain injuries after riding X2, a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Southern California.
The lawsuits accused Six Flags of failing to adequately warn passengers about the risks to riders. The X2 is a 200-foot-high roller coaster with seats that rotate independently as the train travels along the track, spinning riders by as much as 360 degrees. It reaches speeds of up to 76 miles an hour and sends riders through dives, flips and twists.
In court filings in an earlier case involving X2, Six Flags denied that the roller coaster had caused a rider’s fatal brain injury. The ride has been closed since July. Christina Morales contributed reporting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: New York Times Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing