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Ride suddenly stops at Texas amusement park
The incident happened Saturday at COTALAND, the new 30-acre theme park at Circuit of the Americas just outside Austin. The ride, called Circuit Breaker, stopped while 19 people were on board, leaving them suspended in the coaster's vertical tilt position.
Video captured by a Frisco resident shows the riders stuck high above the ground as the unusual coaster remained tilted downward.
Riders Were Suspended for About Nine Minutes
According to COTALAND, the riders remained safely secured in their seats for approximately nine minutes while the ride was stopped.
The vehicle eventually returned to a horizontal position, allowing ride attendants to begin the evacuation process. Riders were then helped off the attraction.
Despite the frightening scene, officials said no one was injured and no medical treatment was required.
The Ride Stopped Again the Next Day
The Circuit Breaker experienced another unplanned stop Sunday, this time lasting about two minutes.
COTALAND said the coaster returned to its normal horizontal position and riders were able to exit normally. The park again reported no injuries.
The back-to-back incidents came during the park's first public weekend following its Sept. 26 grand opening.
COTALAND Says Safety Systems Triggered the Stops
The park said Circuit Breaker is equipped with numerous sensors and safety systems that constantly monitor the attraction.
According to COTALAND, if a required operating condition is not met, the system can automatically stop the ride rather than allow it to continue. The park described these kinds of operational stops as part of the safety systems used on sophisticated amusement rides.
The park said attendants followed established procedures, performed required checks and returned the ride to service after verifying the necessary conditions.
Texas' First Tilt Roller Coaster
Circuit Breaker is one of COTALAND's headline attractions and is billed by the park as Texas' first tilt roller coaster.
The ride uses a track section that tilts riders forward before sending them into a dramatic vertical drop. COTALAND opened with more than 30 attractions, combining roller coasters, thrill rides, family attractions and other entertainment at the Circuit of the Americas complex.
That unusual design made the unexpected stop especially dramatic for the people aboard.
A Previous Lawsuit Involves the Same Ride
The opening-weekend incidents also come months after a lawsuit involving Circuit Breaker.
Earlier in 2026, a visitor named Matthew Cantu sued Circuit of the Americas and a roller coaster manufacturer after alleging that he was left stranded on the ride for an extended period in December 2025. That case is separate from the opening-weekend incidents, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
COTALAND's latest incidents have renewed attention on the ride, but the park maintains that its safety systems functioned as designed.
For the 19 riders who found themselves staring down from a vertical position, however, the unexpected pause turned what was supposed to be a thrilling ride into a very different kind of experience.
Source: WFAA
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