JACKSON – Visitors to Six Flags Great Adventure will have to wait to ride Nitro after the company temporarily closed the popular roller coaster following a fatal incident at one of its Georgia parks.
A Six Flags spokesman told Jersey Shore Online that Nitro is among 10 roller coasters at seven parks in the United States and Canada taken out of service as a precaution. The company has not announced when the rides will reopen.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks. The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority,” the spokesman told Jersey Shore Online in an email on Tuesday morning.
The closures followed an incident Monday afternoon at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, northwest of Atlanta, that left one person dead and several others injured, authorities said.
Local news outlets reported that witnesses saw a man fall from the park’s Goliath roller coaster. Authorities had not publicly confirmed which attraction was involved or explained how the incident occurred.
For Great Adventure visitors, the precautionary shutdown means the temporary loss of one of the Jackson park’s best-known thrill rides. Nitro takes riders up a 230-foot lift hill before sending them through steep drops and turns at speeds reaching 80 mph.
The company expressed condolences to the family of the person who died and said it was supporting others affected by the incident.
“We were deeply saddened by the guest incident at one of our parks yesterday. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones,” the spokesman said. “We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected.”
The spokesman said park employees and local authorities responded immediately and that Six Flags cooperated fully with authorities. The company declined to provide additional details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Along with Nitro, the temporary closures affect Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America and Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Also closed are Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island.
