Investigation Underway After Fatal Roller Coaster Fall at Six Flags Georgia
Eyewitnesses report 'clicking' safety restraints on Goliath ride prior to incident; victim identified as educator.
Authorities are investigating the fatal fall of Hassan Kariem, 42, from the Goliath rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday afternoon. Eyewitnesses have reported that the safety restraints on the towering ride were making an unusual "clicking" sound before Kariem was ejected from his seat, striking the ride multiple times before falling.
Kariem, a father of two and an educator with Atlanta Public Schools, was riding with his son when the incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Witnesses on the ride described a mechanical issue with the restraints, stating they would "unlock and lock, unlock and lock." They also claimed that park staff repeatedly checked the restraints on Kariem's car before it departed, which they noted was unusual.
"Every time, it would click they would come by and push down on the restraint... they triple and quadruple checked," a companion of one witness told WSB-TV. Another rider recounted seeing Kariem "levitating in the air sideways, come back [and hit the cart]," before hitting the cart twice more as the ride ascended. Kariem was found unresponsive behind a haunted house attraction within the park.
Six Flags Over Georgia has temporarily closed the Goliath rollercoaster and several other rides across its national parks "out of an abundance of caution." The park has not commented on the specific cause of the incident but stated that safety is its top priority.
Kariem was remembered by Atlanta Public Schools as a "cherished member of the Wesley International Academy and APS families." The school district stated, "his presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched."
This incident occurs months after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced the demolition of its X2 rollercoaster following multiple lawsuits alleging severe rider injuries. One of those cases involved the wrongful death of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley in 2022. Other lawsuits filed against the park have alleged traumatic brain injuries and severe medical conditions sustained by riders on the X2.