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A 42-year-old man died after falling from a rollercoaster at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park on Monday, according to the BBC.
Police identified the man as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. Preliminary information from witness and employee interviews indicates he was ejected from the ride, struck other passengers and fell beneath the attraction, the Cobb County Police Department said.
The incident happened shortly before 16:00 local time. Authorities have not identified the ride involved, although aerial footage showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped partway along its track and witnesses identified it as the ride.
Investigation under way after fatal fall
The Georgia office of the state insurance and fire safety commissioner, which oversees amusement park safety rules, is also reviewing the incident. Officials have not held a news conference.
“Six Flags” said it was deeply saddened by the incident and offered condolences to Kariem’s family and friends. The company has temporarily closed nine rides across the United States and Canada as a precaution.
Goliath opened in 2006 and reaches a height of 200 feet (60 metres), with a 170-foot drop, a 540-degree spiral and a top speed of 70mph (112km/h), according to the park’s website.
Family and colleagues remember Kariem
Kariem’s family said he was a father and a dedicated educator who had survived cancer twice. He reportedly survived his most recent bout in 2018 and was involved in a car crash with his 10-year-old daughter three weeks before his death.
He lived in Atlanta and worked for more than 12 years at Wesley International Academy, a public charter school, as an IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach. The school said he was deeply loved and respected and that his absence would be felt across its community.
Outside work, Kariem enjoyed using laser engravers and 3D printers to create products, as well as cooking, watching anime and spending time with family and friends, according to his profile on the school’s website.
Witnesses described seeing a passenger leave the ride and fall. One person told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that they were waiting in line when people began shouting for emergency services.
The Doan Law Firm, which tracks amusement park accidents, says the death is at least the seventh at Six Flags Over Georgia. It includes cases involving medical emergencies, people struck by rides in restricted areas, vehicle-related accidents and a death months after a visit to the park’s pool.
In the past 15 years, two deaths involving people falling from rollercoasters at Six Flags parks led to lawsuits and settlements, according to the firm. One occurred in New York in 2011 and the other in Texas in 2013.
