A state investigation has been launched after a rider on a Gatlinburg roller coaster was thrown from the ride. According to WATE, one person flew out of a cart on the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster on Monday (March 29) and sustained several injuries.
The "rider flew out of the cart while entering the curve just past the Kodak camera, striking the track and traveling approximately 10 feet out of [the] cart," according to an incident report. The roller coaster, located on the Parkway, includes carts that travel though the rough terrain along the mountain and is a popular attraction for visitors to the destination town.
A compliance officer with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Amusement Device Unit went to the town to get more information about the incident, WATE reports.
The rider, whose name has not been publicly released, flew threw the air before landing back down, suffering head, wrist, and ankle injuries in the process. They were taken to a hospital for treatment.
According to the news outlet, the ride was immediately shut down following the incident, but as of Wednesday it had resumed operation thanks to the review by a third-party inspector granting permission to reopen.
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