Six Flags Goliath Roller Coaster Shut Down for Maintenance Hours Before Fatal Fall

The Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was undergoing maintenance and test runs just hours before a fatal fall from the ride, according to witnesses. Teacher Hassan Kariem, 42, died on Monday afternoon after being ejected from the high-speed hypercoaster at the amusement park located outside Atlanta.

Two teachers who were at the park on Monday reported that they attempted to ride the Goliath around 1 p.m. but were informed it was closed for maintenance. They observed a park employee conducting a test run alone in one of the ride's cars, a situation they commented on as being a "scary job."

"They made an announcement over the intercom, first saying ‘We’re experiencing delays’ and then, a few minutes later, they said, ‘We’re waiting for maintenance to get here,’" said Tina Christiansen, 29, a high school teacher.

Her friend, Emily Nguyen, 30, a middle school teacher, stated that park staff mentioned they were performing "a couple of maintenance runs" while they waited. "One guy rode it and he was in the front row by himself," Nguyen recalled. "I remember us looking at each other, like, you could not pay me enough to do that job."

Christiansen and Nguyen later returned to the Goliath and found the area around the ride cordoned off and a crowd gathered. When Nguyen inquired about the situation, a security guard responded gruffly, "I can’t tell you." The teachers observed people crying and ambulances arriving, and another parkgoer informed them that the park was being evacuated due to a fall from the Goliath.

"I feel like we dodged a bullet by not being anywhere near when it happened, especially since that’s where we were going," Nguyen said, noting that they later realized they had taken a selfie in close proximity to where Kariem is believed to have fallen.

Riders on the Goliath on Tuesday claimed to have heard "weird clicking" sounds and that staff checked their restraints "multiple times" before the incident. One woman reported that the restraint system repeatedly clicked, unlocking and relocking, and that attendants checked it "triple and quadruple" times.

Following the incident, Six Flags announced it was closing nine other roller coasters across six parks as a precautionary measure. The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit and Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire are both investigating Kariem’s death.

A spokesperson for Six Flags Over Georgia stated, "The safety of our guests and associates is our highest priority. While we are unable to comment on specifics related to the incident or currently closed rides at this time, we are committed to rigorous ride inspection, maintenance and safety procedures that meet or exceed industry standards."