Six Flags’ new Joker roller coaster shut down after unveiling

Michael Walsh
·Reporter

Keeping the Joker safe is no laughing matter.

Six Flags Great Adventure shut down its much-hyped new roller coaster after two riders became stuck for about 15 minutes on the day it opened for previews.

The Joker — billed as a “4-D, free-fly coaster” — lacks traditional tracks below or above, enabling the trains to perform “head-over-heels free-fly flips” as they race along in the Jackson, N.J., theme park.

Around 12:30 p.m., about an hour after an unveiling ceremony, one of the trains on the “Batman”-villain-inspired ride was swaying a bit too much and did not return to the station in an upright position, according to park spokesperson Kristin Siebeneicher.

“During our press preview yesterday afternoon, one of the trains was rocking a bit too much and came into the station in a reclined position. We’re making a minor adjustment to reduce the rocking,” Siebeneicher wrote in an email to Yahoo News Friday morning.

Two men were stuck in their seats until park workers could release the shoulder harnesses and perform the necessary maintenance.

Siebeneicher said no riders were injured during the incident and that the ride had been running flawlessly all morning with camera equipment onboard to shoot promotional material.

“We had planned to do a season pass preview late yesterday, and some fans had gathered,” she continued. “So we issued any guests waiting for the preview an exit pass so they could return another day and not wait in line, or enjoy a different ride yesterday without waiting.”

One of the men who was stuck, Joe Bracco of Toms River, told NJ.com he was not trying to flip the car, but that it “swings back and forth so much maybe our momentum just got it stuck there.” He said he and the other rider were “definitely not where we should be,” despite not being flipped over entirely.

Despite the hiccup, Siebeneicher says Six Flags would open the ride to its season pass holders Friday for previews and planned to open it to the public on Saturday as originally planned.