N.J. worker struck by roller coaster dies

Grief counselors were on hand at a Shore amusement park yesterday following news of the death of a worker struck Sunday by a roller coaster.

Stanislav Nikolaev Dragnev, 21, a student from Bulgaria, had been on life support at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

He died about 7 a.m. yesterday, said Marilou Halvorsen, spokeswomen for the park, Casino Pier in Seaside Heights.

He was hit in the head and shoulder by a roller coaster Sunday night, while in an off-limits area trying to retrieve a hat for a child.

Among the park's several hundred employees are more than 50 students from Bulgaria, she said.

The park usually opens at noon, but opened more than 90 minutes late yesterday so workers could meet with counselors and have some time to adjust, she said.

"Right now we are trying to make sure our employees are OK," she said.

The park also closed the Star Jet ride, where the accident occurred, until Saturday, and, in accordance with a Bulgarian custom, suspended playing music until last evening, she said.

"The owners, management and coworkers are deeply saddened and devastated by the tragic accident," according to a statement Halvorsen read. ". . . Stanislav was a dedicated, hard-working employee, but more importantly he was a kind, loving and friendly human being. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, friends and coworkers here and in Bulgaria."

His father, who arrived Tuesday, is returning to Bulgaria to await his son's body, she said.

A local memorial service was being planned, she said.

The death hit everyone hard at the park, which hadn't had a serious accident since new owners took over six years ago, she said.

Dragnev, from Pleven, Bulgaria, was living on Grant Avenue in Seaside Heights and had worked at the park since May.