Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem dies in Atlanta roller coaster fall
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died Monday after falling from a roller coaster at an Atlanta area park. Authorities have not released details on the cause of the fatal fall. Several other people suffered injuries during the same incident.
The 42-year-old man was thrown from the Goliath ride at Six Flags Over Georgia. Officials have not explained how he fell.
The incident joins a recorded history of fatal events on rides across the country. Other parks have logged similar deaths and severe rider injuries over the past two decades.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California announced last month that it was retiring the X2 ride. That decision followed lawsuits alleging riders suffered serious brain injuries.
The park settled a wrongful-death lawsuit with the family of a 22-year-old rider. That rider was rushed to a hospital with severe brain bleeding in 2022.
He died a day later. The medical examiner’s office determined he died from blunt head trauma. Six Flags Entertainment Corp. said the ride had consistently passed safety tests.
At Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort, a medical examiner concluded a man died from blunt impact injuries. The man in his 30s was found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers last year.
Joshua Stephany, the medical examiner for the Orlando area, ruled that death an accident. In 2013, a woman died on the Texas Giant ride in Texas.
She was thrown from her seat, fell 75 feet and struck a metal beam. Witnesses said she expressed concern about the safety bar before the ride began.
In 2011, a U.S. Army veteran who lost both legs in Iraq died at Darien Lake Theme Park & Resort. He was thrown from a roller coaster at the upstate New York park.
Investigators said operators did not follow rules posted at the ride entrance. Those rules require riders to have both legs.
In Louisiana, a 21-year-old rider fell to her death at Dixie Landin’ in 2010. A state investigation could not determine a cause.
In California, a locomotive broke loose on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland in 2003. The crash killed a man and injured multiple other riders.
The car derailed when a guide wheel fell off. State investigators found the wheel was not tightened to Disney standards. A safety wire was missing.
Theme parks operate under state and local oversight following serious ride incidents. State investigators review ride mechanics and enforce safety rules before rides reopen to the public.
The investigation into the incident near Atlanta remains open.
