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Man killed after being thrown from Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia; state launches probe
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, an Atlanta educator, died Monday after being ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia; several other guests were injured. Georgia regulators have opened an investigation, and Six Flags has precautionarily shut nine similar coasters at six parks in the US and Canada, including two at Canada's Wonderland.
Why it matters
At about 3:58 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 42-year-old Atlanta educator Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was thrown from his seat on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia and died. At least three other guests were injured. It is one of the most serious amusement-park fatalities in North America in recent years, and Georgia authorities and police have opened parallel investigations.
The victim and what happened
Cobb County police identified the victim on Tuesday: Kariem was the IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach at Wesley International Academy, an Atlanta public charter school, described as a beloved educator. Police said preliminary witness and employee interviews indicate he was ejected from the moving ride, struck other patrons, and fell beneath the attraction; he was found unresponsive and not breathing. One witness said he struck the coaster car three times before landing on the roof of a haunted house attraction below. No official cause of death has been released, and detectives are examining mechanical failure, operator error and guest behavior.
The investigation and shutdowns
The Cobb County Police Department's Major Crimes Unit and the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire — the agency that inspects amusement rides statewide — have both opened investigations. Commissioner John King said Wednesday, during an Atlanta Press Club debate broadcast by Georgia Public Television, that state inspectors had examined the park's rides before the season, that the investigation is ongoing, and that he would report its findings publicly. His Democratic challenger, Keisha Sean Waites, called for thorough inspections before the park reopens. The Goliath is a 200-foot hypercoaster reaching 70 mph, opened in 2006 and designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, which said it is also examining the incident.
Nine similar coasters shut across the US and Canada
Out of caution, Six Flags Entertainment has temporarily closed nine similar roller coasters at six parks in the United States and Canada: Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, another Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island, and Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland near Toronto. The company called the closures precautionary and has not announced a reopening timeline. The Georgia park plans to reopen on Friday, October 16; as of Wednesday, state investigators had announced no findings.
Sources
The Associated Press; CNN; FOX 5 Atlanta; WSB-TV; Cobb County Courier (October 14, 2026); focalnews.org (October 14, 2026); balleralert.
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