Police have identified the man who died after being ejected from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta. His death on Monday, October 12, has prompted Six Flags to temporarily shut down nine additional roller coasters across six parks in the United States and Canada.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Cobb County police responded to the incident involving the Goliath roller coaster at approximately 3:58 p.m. Investigators said preliminary interviews with witnesses and park employees indicate Kariem was thrown from the moving ride, struck other passengers, and fell beneath the attraction.
Officers discovered Kariem underneath the roller coaster, where he was unresponsive and not breathing. The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit was called to investigate. Authorities have not determined what caused him to leave his seat or publicly disclosed his official cause of death.
The Six Flags death also left other visitors injured. According to WSB-TV Channel 2, officials reported four additional injuries. The identities of those injured, the severity of their injuries, and whether they were all passengers on Goliath have not been publicly confirmed.
Witnesses described a terrifying sequence of events as the roller coaster continued moving. According to CNN’s reporting, one witness told Atlanta station WXIA that Kariem struck the coaster car three separate times before landing on the roof of a haunted house attraction below.
Another passenger, Logan Conner, told NBC News that he witnessed Kariem come out of his seat and collide with the coaster train. Conner said he made eye contact with Kariem during the incident. His account illustrates how quickly the tragedy unfolded for passengers who had no way to stop what was happening.
Even more heartbreaking, Kariem was reportedly visiting the amusement park with his family. According to People, a witness claimed Kariem’s son was seated beside him during the incident, while his wife and daughter were elsewhere at the park. Authorities have not independently confirmed those details.
Kariem was also part of Atlanta’s education community. Atlanta News First reported that he worked at Wesley International Academy, a public charter school serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Atlanta Public Schools remembered him as a “cherished member” of its community whose contributions would be deeply missed.
The Goliath roller coaster is one of Six Flags Over Georgia’s signature attractions. According to the park’s official website, the steel hypercoaster opened in 2006, reaches heights of 200 feet, and travels at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. The ride was manufactured by Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard.
Following the deadly incident, Six Flags stopped the attraction and evacuated the park. WSB-TV captured aerial footage of passengers being evacuated from another Goliath train that had stopped high on the coaster’s track. Emergency crews assisted riders while investigators secured the scene.
The company’s response quickly extended beyond Georgia.
Six Flags announced it was temporarily closing nine similar roller coasters at six other parks as a precaution. The company explained its decision in a statement:
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks.”
The affected attractions include Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.
Six Flags also suspended Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina, and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island in Ohio. Including the original Goliath attraction in Georgia, 10 roller coasters were taken out of service.
The decision raises an important question: Why were these particular rides closed?
According to Attractions Magazine, eight of the nine additional coasters were manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the same company that built Georgia’s Goliath. Several belong to the hypercoaster or giga coaster categories, featuring significant heights, high speeds, and large drops. However, Goliath at Magic Mountain was manufactured by a different company, Giovanola.
Six Flags has not publicly explained exactly how it selected the nine attractions, whether their restraint systems influenced the decision, or what evaluations must take place before reopening. The closures are precautionary and do not establish that those rides have mechanical defects.
Meanwhile, Bolliger & Mabillard said it was “actively investigating the incident,” according to a statement. The manufacturer has not publicly identified what caused Kariem’s ejection.
Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire has also opened an investigation. According to WSB-TV, the state agency is reviewing the circumstances of the incident and whether applicable safety policies and procedures were followed.
Six Flags said it is cooperating with authorities and providing support to affected guests and employees. The company has not announced when Goliath or the other suspended attractions will resume operations.
Six Flags Over Georgia is scheduled to reopen Friday, October 16, under its regular weekend schedule, although Goliath remains closed.
As the investigation continues, the central questions remain unanswered: How did Kariem become ejected from the Goliath roller coaster, did the ride operate as intended, and could additional safeguards have prevented his death? For his family and the Atlanta school community mourning him, those answers now carry consequences far beyond the amusement park.
