Roller-coaster rider sues Great Adventure over bamboo accident

CAMDEN - A lawsuit filed against Six Flags Great Adventure contends the amusement park is responsible for a gruesome injury suffered by a patron after a roller-coaster ride.

In the suit, a Pennsylvania man says he was at the entrance to the Kingda Ka ride when he was told he could not bring his cellphone on what's described as the world's tallest roller coaster.

The patron, Steven Keim Jr., claims an employee of the Jackson park advised him to hide the phone under foliage in a bamboo grove behind a nearby smoking area.

Keim quickly concealed the phone and completed his ride on Kingda Ka, the lawsuit says.

But when he returned to the thicket to retrieve the phone, the lawsuit says, Keim stepped on "an extremely sharp piece of cut bamboo."

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The bamboo shard, allegedly covered by foliage, "pierced through his shoe, penetrated his foot and caused … serious, permanent personal injuries," says the suit.

A Great Adventure spokesperson could not be reached for immediate comment Wednesday night.

However, a park representative, while declining to discuss litigation, has previously asserted "the safety and well-being of our guests is always our top priority."

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Great Adventure's website notes "no loose articles including cell phones will be permitted on Kingda Ka."

"Please store them in a locker or with a non-rider before entering the queue." it says.

The suit says the cut bamboo caused "a penetrating wound to the plantar area of (Keim's) right foot requiring sutures."

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It asserts the accident resulted in "severe pain" and the need for surgeries, among other consequences.

The suit, initially filed in state court in Ocean County, was moved this week to Camden federal court.

It seeks unspecified damages and legal costs for Keim, a resident of Douglassville, Berks County, in connection with the May 2018 incident.

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The suit, which says Keim encountered "a highly dangerous and defective condition," includes photographs of the bamboo grove behind a bench and a cigarette receptacle.

The pictures include a close-up of a severed bamboo stalk.

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The lawsuit contends Great Adventure is responsible for maintaining the safety of its premises, "including the designated smoking area adjacent to the ride 'Kingda Ka,' and the grounds, trees and foliage immediately surrounding the area."

It argues Keim's injury "was caused solely and substantially by the negligence and carelessness" of Great Adventure.

Jim Walsh is a free-range reporter who’s been roaming around South Jersey for decades. His interests include crime, the courts, economic development and being first with breaking news. Reach him at jwalsh@gannettnj.com or look for him in traffic.