Two trains on the popular ''Superman: Ride of Steel'' at Six Flags New England collided yesterday in an explosive crunch of metal, sending at least 22 riders to hospitals. The accident marked the second roller-coaster collision at a New England amusement park in 10 days, and took place on a heavily promoted ride that was introduced only last year.
The collision occurred in the loading area of the 20-story high roller coaster when an arriving train rammed into a departing one, officials said. About 42 people were on the two trains - which reach peak speeds of 80 miles per hour, according to the park's Web site - at the time of the 3 p.m. crash, Agawam Fire Department Lieutenant James Brown said. The injured were treated at nearby hospitals for cuts, scrapes, back and neck strains, he said.
Todd Wescott of Southwick said the collision sounded like a ''metal on metal'' explosion. ''It just plowed right into it full speed,'' said Wescott, a season-pass holder who was at the park celebrating his 40th birthday.
Wescott was waiting in line with his cousin, Jody Wescott, of New Hampshire, who said, ''We heard this humongous boom, and all of a sudden, people came running with horrid looks on their faces.'' Next, she said, ''We looked over where the cars were, and you could see all the people bloody and crying. Attendants were throwing towels to them, and people in line were taking off their T-shirts and throwing them.''
Frank DiNardi of Dover, N.H., was riding in the fifth car of the arriving train, and was not seriously hurt. But his girlfriend, Megan Kaarto, 20, was awaiting X-Rays for a broken cheekbone and stitches for a cut lip at Bay State Medical Center last night. DiNardi, 24, said it took park officials half an hour to remove some passengers from the trains. ''I knew we hit pretty hard,'' said DiNardi, whose throat slammed into the restraining bar of his seat. ''I looked around me and everyone was bleeding.''
Gabe Guerin, 16, of Bangor, Maine, who was sitting with his brother in the arriving train, estimated that car was traveling approximately 20 to 30 miles per hour. Guerin was in the front car of the train and said that at the spot where the train should have stopped, ''It kind of gave way, and just kept on going.''
Officials halted the ride and said it will remain closed while park engineers and officials from Intamin,the ride's Swiss-based manufacturer, investigate, said Dean O'Keefe, the park's marketing director. O'Keefe could not say when the ride was last inspected for safety. The amusement park remained open.
After the collision, park officials asked riders who were not injured to sign forms that said they were unhurt, said Joe Guerin, Gabe Guerin's father. The elder Guerin said he had to insist on seeing the form after his son had signed it so he could add that his son felt some slight back pain. ''It's a lot worse than they're letting people know,'' he said. ''I thought they could have done a better job of informing the parents.''
In a statement, the park said it dispatched first-aid personnel and engineers ''in accordance with standard procedures. ... The safety of our guests is our top priority.''
Ten people were taken to Bay State Medical Center and seven were taken to Mercy Medical Center, both in Springfield, the hospitals said. Three were taken to Holyoke Hospital, and two were taken to Noble Hospital in Westfield, Brown said.
The incident marked the latest mishap in a bad summer for roller coasters nationwide. On July 27, a rear-end collision on a ride at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, N.H., injured five people. On June 13, a maintenance worker was struck and killed by the Boulderdash roller coaster at the Lake Compounce theme park in Bristol, Conn. A day later at the same park, 26 passengers were left stranded aboard the Zoomerang roller coaster.
SOURCE:
Boston Globe.
