ELYSBURG - A Knoebels Amusement Resort worker was injured when he was clipped by a car during a test run of the Impulse roller coaster.
Stacy Ososkie, a public relations representative at the park, said the man was standing by a low-lying area of track when he was struck by the car, which overhangs the track by several inches, at around 9:54 a.m. Thursday.
Ososkie said the park was withholding the name of the man at the request of his family, but said he was talking and alert when he was taken away by ambulance to an area hospital.
He suffered a broken hand and needed staples to close a wound on his head. Ososkie said a CT scan of his head showed no further complications.
"We are happy to hear that," she said. "We're praying for a speedy recovery."
The first test of the new roller coaster with one of its cars was run Tuesday. It has been run several times since, including additional times before Thursday's accident, with no other incidents.
Ososkie said the park was suspending test runs of the ride until a full investigation could take place. This includes talking to the injured man because nobody witnessed the accident, she said.
"We'll definitely have to reevaluate our safety procedures," she said.
The accident put a damper on an otherwise bustling time at the park. With less than a month to go before opening day, workers are busy bringing equipment out of storage and assembling rides.
"We're all shaken up," said Ososkie. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him."
The incident occurred in an area of the ride that will be inaccessible to visitors. Ososkie was unsure if the delayed testing will affect the opening day of the coaster.