Witnesses told police a 42-year-old Atlanta man was ejected from a Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia Monday before falling to his death.
The Cobb County Police Department said Hassan Kariem was thrown from his seat on the Goliath roller coaster and struck other patrons at Six Flags Over Georgia just before 4 p.m. on Monday.
Neither theme park officials nor law enforcement provided details about how Kariem came out of his seat, or the extent of the injuries suffered by the other riders who were hurt.
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Six Flags officials said they would be temporarily closing the Goliath coaster in Georgia and several other “similar” rides at other theme parks out of an abundance of caution. Those rides and parks are:
- Six Flags Great America – Raging Bull
- Six Flags Magic Mountain – Goliath
- Six Flags Great Adventure – Nitro
- Canada's Wonderland – Leviathan and Behemoth
- Carowinds – Fury 325 and Thunder Striker
- Kings Island – Orion and Diamondback.
“We were deeply saddened by the guest incident at one of our parks yesterday. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected,” a Six Flags spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we cooperated fully with local authorities. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be sharing additional details at this time.”
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Atlanta Public Schools confirmed Kariem worked for their district at Wesley International Academy. The school said in a statement he was “deeply loved and respected,” adding:
"The Wesley International Academy community is devastated by the loss of Hassan Kariem, affectionately known as Mr. Kariem, who was a beloved colleague, friend, and integral part of the Wesley family for more than 12 years.
Throughout his time at Wesley, Mr. Kariem served as our IT Manager, a technology teacher, and a robotics coach, leaving a lasting impact on generations of students and colleagues. His love for Wesley, dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did."
Kariem’s death happened about two weeks after Six Flags permanently closed a California roller coaster at the center of numerous lawsuits alleging multiple riders suffered brain injuries.
The theme park chain recently announced it was “retiring” the Magic Mountain coaster X2 after more than 20 years in operation, while noting that it had “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests.”
“Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” said Brian Oerding, the president of Six Flags Magic Mountain Park, when announcing X2’s retirement last month.
California attorney Gary Dordick is representing more than 100 people who say they were injured after riding Six Flags rides, including X2. He said Monday’s incident, and the injuries suffered by his clients, indicate a systemic problem.
“There's insufficient regulation. There's insufficient standards for the operation of these kinds of roller coasters,” Dordick said. “And then you combine that with this idea that over the past many years, they want these roller coasters to go faster and higher and twist more, and they become more dangerous.”
In its comments Tuesday, Six Flags said, “The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority.”
Dordick said the fatal incident in Georgia makes it clear it is time for change.
“This is just amusement. These are families that pay a fee to go have some fun with their kids and their friends. There shouldn’t be a risk of serious injury and death,” he said.
