BOSTON -- Employees of the Six Flags New England amusement park failed to properly secure a man who later fell to his death from a roller coaster, according to a state investigation of the incident.
The report, scheduled for release Friday but obtained a day early by the Boston Herald, blames park workers, the manufacturer of the roller coaster and victim Stanley J. Mordarsky himself for last Saturday's death.
There were "no apparent mechanical defects" on the Superman Ride of Steel coaster, but Mordarsky should have been denied admission because his girth prevented a T-bar lap restraint from fitting firmly against his thighs, according to the report.
"Had the ride attendant identified that the T-bar lap restraint was not in position necessary to protect the patron from ejection, the patron should have been removed from the ride," the report by the Department of Public Safety said.
Mordarsky, 55, had cerebral palsy, used a motorized scooter and was 5-foot-2 and weighed 230 pounds, according to his family.
The Bloomfield, Conn., man had a "pre-existing medical condition" which he failed to report to ride operators despite state laws requiring it, the report says.
The state report recommends banning the use of T-bars as the primary means of restraint. Six Flags will have to either replace the restraint system with a new device, or acquire a state-approved fix from the manufacturer, according to the report.
The ride was manufactured by Intamin, whose Web site lists the company as being located in Liechtenstein in Europe.
The state also will notify the national Council for Amusement and Recreation that other states, including 20 that don't regulate amusement parks, should examine rides for the T-bar restraints. Superman Ride of Steel at Six Flags has been shut down since the incident.
The 20-year-old attendant, who was not named, tested negative for drugs after the incident, according to the report.
Park officials refused comment on the report because they had not seen it.
Witnesses who were on a roller coaster with Mordarsky said park employees didn't check to see if all the safety restraints on all the cars were fastened and locked.
Park visitor Faith Thomas of Raymond, N.H., said she was sitting behind Modarsky and grabbed him when he popped up in his seat as the roller coaster approached the last turn.
Thomas, of Raymond, N.H., said she let go of her own safety bar and pulled Mordarsky back into his seat by his shirt and suspenders.
Seconds later, Mordarsky lost his grip and was flung from the ride, she said.
During the ride, Thomas said she noticed that the belt was around Mordarsky, but the T-shaped safety bar was halfway up.
The Rev. Henry Waltmire, associate pastor of Crossroads Community Cathedral Church in East Hartford, Conn., said one park employee inspected seat belts and lap restraints on the right side, but not the left, where Mordarsky was sitting in the front car.
The Superman ride, which opened in 2000, stands as high as 208 feet, and reaches speeds of up to 80 mph. Six Flags in Agawam, located outside Springfield about 90 miles west of Boston, is owned by Oklahoma City, Okla.-based Six Flags Inc., which operates 31 parks in North America and Europe.
The report, scheduled for release Friday but obtained a day early by the Boston Herald, blames park workers, the manufacturer of the roller coaster and victim Stanley J. Mordarsky himself for last Saturday's death.
There were "no apparent mechanical defects" on the Superman Ride of Steel coaster, but Mordarsky should have been denied admission because his girth prevented a T-bar lap restraint from fitting firmly against his thighs, according to the report.
"Had the ride attendant identified that the T-bar lap restraint was not in position necessary to protect the patron from ejection, the patron should have been removed from the ride," the report by the Department of Public Safety said.
Mordarsky, 55, had cerebral palsy, used a motorized scooter and was 5-foot-2 and weighed 230 pounds, according to his family.
The Bloomfield, Conn., man had a "pre-existing medical condition" which he failed to report to ride operators despite state laws requiring it, the report says.
The state report recommends banning the use of T-bars as the primary means of restraint. Six Flags will have to either replace the restraint system with a new device, or acquire a state-approved fix from the manufacturer, according to the report.
The ride was manufactured by Intamin, whose Web site lists the company as being located in Liechtenstein in Europe.
The state also will notify the national Council for Amusement and Recreation that other states, including 20 that don't regulate amusement parks, should examine rides for the T-bar restraints. Superman Ride of Steel at Six Flags has been shut down since the incident.
The 20-year-old attendant, who was not named, tested negative for drugs after the incident, according to the report.
Park officials refused comment on the report because they had not seen it.
Witnesses who were on a roller coaster with Mordarsky said park employees didn't check to see if all the safety restraints on all the cars were fastened and locked.
Park visitor Faith Thomas of Raymond, N.H., said she was sitting behind Modarsky and grabbed him when he popped up in his seat as the roller coaster approached the last turn.
Thomas, of Raymond, N.H., said she let go of her own safety bar and pulled Mordarsky back into his seat by his shirt and suspenders.
Seconds later, Mordarsky lost his grip and was flung from the ride, she said.
During the ride, Thomas said she noticed that the belt was around Mordarsky, but the T-shaped safety bar was halfway up.
The Rev. Henry Waltmire, associate pastor of Crossroads Community Cathedral Church in East Hartford, Conn., said one park employee inspected seat belts and lap restraints on the right side, but not the left, where Mordarsky was sitting in the front car.
The Superman ride, which opened in 2000, stands as high as 208 feet, and reaches speeds of up to 80 mph. Six Flags in Agawam, located outside Springfield about 90 miles west of Boston, is owned by Oklahoma City, Okla.-based Six Flags Inc., which operates 31 parks in North America and Europe.