Ken Serrano | Asbury Park Press

Tanya Breen and Ken Serrano, Asbury Park Press

An Asbury Park Press story about the complaint of a Marlboro woman whose shoulder strap broke on the roller coaster Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure has sparked a review by the state of the ride's maintenance logs.

The Department of Community Affairs is also drafting a notice of violation against the Jackson amusement park and an order that it pay a fine for allegedly failing to notify the state of the Aug. 28 incident, said Lisa Ryan, department spokeswoman.

It faces a fine of up to $5,000.

Courtesy of Sandra Morelli

Six Flags Great Adventure spokeswoman Kristin Fitzgerald wrote in an email that the company will continue to "work directly with the DCA to answer any additional questions they may have."

Sandra Morelli boarded the ride while her two young daughters, not tall enough to join her, stood on the sidelines with others. After she got on, the left shoulder strap "snapped off," she said.

“The only thing I could do was hold on for dear life and yell out that I love my children,” she told the Press Tuesday.

Tanya Breen

The ride, billed as the world’s tallest and second-fastest roller coaster, sends park-goers on a wild trip up and down a 90-degree section of track at startling speeds.

"You’ll leave the station going from 0 to 128 miles per hour in a jaw-dropping 3.5 seconds," the Great Adventure web site reads.

Morelli complained to Great Adventure staff that night and followed up, but felt she was getting the runaround, she said.

She emailed the Department of Community Affairs about four days after the incident, Ryan said. It sent an inspector out on Sept. 6 who found nothing in the logs about the incident.

Tom Spader/Staff photographer (~ nfs)

But Great Adventure assigned an incident number to Morelli's complaint.

Ryan said the DCA looked into the incident again after seeing the report on APP.com posted Tuesday.

Morelli eventually got a 40 percent discount on season tickets and went back on the ride to overcome her fear.

Thomas P. Costello, Asbury Park Press

But the experience of dealing with staff after the Aug, 28 incident left her frustrated, she said.

"I felt like they tried to brush it off and they did not care," she said.

Saying she was in need of closure, Morelli created a Christmas card spoofing the incident.

PREVIOUS Marlboro mom of two turns Kingda Ka nightmare into Christmas card

In responding to Press questions, Fitzgerald said in an email the shoulder strap was not part of the restraint system and was merely for comfort. The DCA countered that, saying "the straps are made for comfort instead of padded bars, but are part of the restraint system and intended to limit unwanted movement."

Fitzgerald also said Kingda Ka was taken out of service immediately after Morelli complained to staff that night and the shoulder strap was repaired.

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Morelli Friday said she felt vindicated that her complaint was now being taken seriously and the incident has triggered a review of what Six Flags Great Adventure staff discounted.

Tanya Breen

But that wasn't all.

"I might add that I'm a little creeped out now that it has been confirmed that the harness is in fact part of the restraint system," she wrote in a text. "Actually a LOT creeped out."

John Winkler, president of the park, wrote to Morelli Dec. 19, apologizing for the "stressful situation and incovenience" and offered to refund what Morelli spent on the discounted season passes for 2019.

Winkler defended the system and echoed that the shoulder straps on Kingda Ka are not part of the restraint system, at odds with the DCA's statement.