GATLINBURG, Tenn. — A popular Smoky Mountains tourist attraction was shut down briefly Monday after a passenger on a Gatlinburg, Tennessee, amusement ride was thrown from a coaster cart and sustained multiple injuries.
The rider, who was ejected from a Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster cart and thrown roughly 10 feet, landed on the attraction’s track and transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious head, wrist and ankle injuries, WATE reported.
Although the attraction was shut down immediately following the incident, the state allowed the ride to resume operation Tuesday following a third-party inspection, the TV station reported.
A compliance officer from the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development’s Amusement Device Unit is investigating the incident, KFSM reported.
The ride features viewing carts that snake through the Smoky Mountains’ forested terrain at speeds up to 35 mph. The ejection occurred as the cart entered a curve “just past the Kodak camera,” according to an incident report.
According to KFSM, a woman suffered serious injuries after being thrown from a Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster car in 2016. The ride was shut down but allowed to reopen about 10 days later following a third-party inspection.
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