Star Jet was a

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...

that operated at Casino Pier in

Seaside Heights, New Jersey Seaside Heights is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 2,887,Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

in 2012.

Construction and early operation

Star Jet was a replacement for the similarly-named Jet Star roller coaster, which operated on Casino Pier from 1970 until 2000. The similarity in names between the Star Jet and its predecessor has resulted in Star Jet being frequently misidentified in the media as Jet Star, and even misidentified on Casino Pier's own website following Hurricane Sandy.

Incidents

In July 2008, a Bulgarian student worker was struck and killed by a moving coaster train. The worker had entered a restricted area while retrieving a park patron's lost hat.

Hurricane Sandy

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy came on shore, causing considerable damage along the Atlantic Coast, particularly along the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

shores. The storm caused the collapse of a large section of Casino Pier, dumping Star Jet into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

and damaging several other rides. Despite being thrown into the ocean, the structure of the Star Jet remained largely intact. Images of the coaster, now standing amid the surf, became emblematic of the immense destruction that the hurricane had dealt out along the coast. On January 8, 2013, a man, wanting to raise awareness for Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, climbed the derelict structure of the Star Jet and placed a United States flag at the top of the coaster before being arrested by police. The coaster was torn down and removed from the ocean on May 14, 2013 starting just after noon and immediately after a brief visit by New Jersey Governor

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

and

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

. Star Jet's replacement, Hydrus, opened in May 2017. However, the replacement coaster opened on the beach instead of the pier to protect it from future storms.

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline Seaside Heights, New Jersey Former roller coasters in New Jersey Buildings and structures demolished in 2013