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Riders stranded on Dollywood roller coaster

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roller_coaster
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Riders on a popular Dollywood roller coaster stayed on board for longer than they anticipated.

The Firechaser Express roller coaster stopped working Tuesday afternoon while a ride was just beginning, leaving riders stranded on the coaster.

Pete Owens, Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations, said the safety sensor for the Firechaser tripped causing the ride to stop working.

Passengers were stranded on the ride for 20 minutes before they were able to be taken off. Owens said about 40 riders were escorted off the roller coaster.

Owens added the ride was down for a total of 40 minutes to be checked before it was operational again, and the ride resumed normal operations following the incident.