Roller Coaster Accident Injures 19

A G A W A M, Mass., Aug. 6, 2001 -- Two cars on the Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster at the Six Flags New England park collided today, injuring at least 19 people.

According to a statement by park officials, the injuries did notappear to be serious. They expected "a few more" people to betaken to hospitals as a "precautionary measure."

The statement did not specify which hospitals the injured werebeing taken to.

Mike Kintner, a spokesman for Baystate Medical Center inSpringfield, said it had received four of the injured and wasexpecting more. He said the hospital was told that 16 people werebeing taken to hospitals from the park.

Fire officials also said that all the injuries appeared minor.However 10 ambulances had been sent to the scene, said Agawamfirefighter Bill Barber.

Series of Roller Coaster Mishaps

The park remained open this afternoon, but the ride, one ofthe park's seven roller coasters, was closed. The Superman ride hadopened in May 2000.

The accident is the fourth on a roller coaster in a New Englandamusement park this season.

A park maintenance worker was killed June 13 when he was hit bythe Boulder Dash roller coaster at the Lake Compounce amusementpark in Bristol, Conn.

The next day, the Zoomerang roller coasterat that park failed to stop at the correct location, and 26 peoplewere stuck for more than 90 minutes before firefighters were able tobring them down.

Five people were injured on July 27 when two cars collided onthe Yankee Cannonball roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park in Salem,N.H. That accident was blamed on human error.