NJ shuts down Great Adventure’s El Toro coaster after derailment

New Jersey state ride safety inspectors have shut down the El Toro roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. The action comes after what the state says was a "partial derailment" of the wooden coaster.

A Six Flags spokeswoman disputes that, telling New Jersey 101.5 the train remained on the track, and "the train's safety systems worked as designed."

Video posted to YouTube showed the train stopped before the end of the ride, and what appears to be work crews walking back and forth looking at the train cars. There were no reports of any injuries.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Community Affairs, which handles ride inspections, said the ride will not reopen until the state is provided with "a report by the ride manufacturer indicating what caused the derailment as well as how to mitigate the issue."

"Inspectors in DCA’s Carnival-Amusement Ride Safety Unit have not yet determined what caused the El Toro derailment," spokeswoman Lisa Ryan told New Jersey 101.5 on Thursday morning. "DCA has red tagged the ride, which means the ride is prohibited from operating, and put the ride under engineering review."

When El Toro opened in 2006, it was billed as the world's fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster.  Reaching a top speed of 70 miles per hour, the Six Flags website describes "a series of insane hills designed to give you maximum airtime."

The state is also still investigating a mishap on the log flume ride that sent two riders to the hospital with minor injuries. A cause of that accident has not been revealed.