National

Lawsuit: Pa. theme park's Halloween event too scary, led to girl's injuries

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Pennsylvania mother is suing Dorney Park in Allentown for injuries she said her daughter suffered after becoming too scared and falling in a Halloween attraction.

In the lawsuit filed last week, Shannon Succo and her daughter seek more than $150,000 in damages from Dorney Park and its parent company, Cedar Fair, for the girl's injuries, The Morning Call of Allentown reported.

According to the lawsuit, Succo’s daughter, identified as M.S., visited the amusement park with friends in September 2017. As the girls were passing through a Halloween attraction, several costume ghouls approached them, and M.S. told them to back off because she didn’t want them to be scared.

As the girls continued through the attraction, the lawsuit said one of the ghouls ran up to the girl and yelled in her ear, causing her to fall forward and suffer “severe, permanent and debilitating injuries.” The lawsuit doesn’t elaborate on the injuries, but says they’ve caused “pain, emotional and mental distress and impairment of bodily functions.” It also claims M.S. has needed medical treatment and has been unable to continue her usual activities or hold down a job.

The lawsuit alleges that the park failed to tell the girls they could buy “No Boo” necklaces that could keep away the employees dressed as ghouls. It says the park was negligent for disregarding the girl’s request to not be scared, disregarding her safety and well-being, and “unreasonably startling” patrons.

Attorneys for the park declined comment, and attorneys for Succo couldn’t be reached.