Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem dies in Austell roller coaster fall

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died Monday in an Austell amusement park roller coaster fall, Cobb County police said. The fatal incident injured several other patrons and forced ride closures at six parks nationwide.

Kariem was thrown from the coaster train, police said Tuesday. He struck other visitors before landing below. Officials have not released details about the conditions of the other injured patrons.

The incident occurred at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta. Detectives with the Cobb County Police Department are investigating the fatal fall. Authorities have not named the ride involved in the incident.

Local television footage showed emergency workers evacuating passengers from the Goliath roller coaster. One ride train stopped on the tracks Tuesday on the first hill. The park was already scheduled to be closed that day.

Witness Logan Conner was on Goliath when he saw Kariem leave his seat. “The man started levitating in the air sideways,” Conner told NBC. “We made direct eye contact with him.”

Witness Britny Landry stood in line to ride the attraction a second time. “We just look, and I just see somebody fly out,” Landry told KTVU-TV.

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. closed nine roller coasters across six parks. A company spokesperson said the closures were a precaution. Staff members responded immediately. The company is cooperating with the ongoing police investigation.

Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid confirmed officers notified Kariem’s next of kin.

“I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today, and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one. We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories.”

Goliath reaches 70 mph and rises 200 feet, the park website states. The coaster opened in Austell in 2006. The suburban Atlanta venue first opened to the public in 1967.

The death marks the seventh fatality at the Georgia venue since 1989, according to the Doan Law Firm. Two previous victims entered restricted areas and were struck by trains. Two others died in auto accidents on the property, the firm reported.

In 2006, a man died on Goliath from a suspected heart attack, the firm stated. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California recently retired its X2 coaster after brain injury lawsuits. That park settled one wrongful-death lawsuit over a 22-year-old man who died in 2022.

Last year, a 32-year-old man died from blunt impact injuries on a roller coaster in Florida. Officials ruled that death accidental.

Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner oversees amusement ride safety inspections across the state. State inspectors examine mechanical systems and track structures to ensure attractions follow safety regulations. The agency reviews operational logs following major park incidents.

Police and Six Flags representatives did not respond immediately to messages seeking comment. State inspection officials also did not return requests for comment.