An Atlanta school worker was ejected from a 200-foot Six Flags roller coaster and fell to his death after striking other riders, leaving four people injured and multiple hypercoasters shuttered pending investigation.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was found dead beneath the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia after preliminary information indicated he was thrown from the ride, struck other patrons, and fell to the ground below. The incident happened shortly before 4 p.m. Monday at the park in Cobb County, west of Atlanta.
ABC News reported that riders were evacuated after the coaster stopped near the top. Local authorities and the park team responded at once. Several people were hurt. Police later said four others were injured as Kariem plummeted from the attraction.
Kariem worked more than 12 years for Atlanta Public Schools as an IT manager, technology teacher, and robotics coach at Wesley International Academy. He was at the park with family for his niece’s birthday and was sitting beside her when he was ejected, a relative told reporters.
The death of a longtime educator on a family outing has left a school community grieving and raised hard questions about how a guest ends up outside a modern coaster seat at height and speed.
Cobb County police released preliminary findings on Tuesday based on witness and employee interviews.
“Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interviews indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction,” the department said. Investigators “continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
The Washington Examiner reported police confirmed the man was ejected from the 200-foot-tall Goliath and hit other riders while falling. No mechanical cause has been announced. No charges have been described.
Witnesses described a public scene that will stay with them. One parkgoer said Kariem appeared in a souvenir photo and struck the car three times as he fell.
"He was in our pictures. He fell and hit the car three different times."
Goliath first opened in 2006. Park materials list a 200-foot elevation and speeds up to 70 mph. That is the kind of ride families treat as routine entertainment until something goes wrong in plain view.
Family members say Kariem had already beaten long odds before Monday. His sister, Andrea Clark, told the New York Post he went into cancer remission in 2015 and survived a car fire about a month before the park visit. She described a beloved teacher who cared for his fiancée’s daughter.
Speaking through tears, Clark framed the loss in blunt terms.
"He's an amazing person," Clark said. "My hero."
Fox News carried additional remarks from Clark, who said the coolest part about her was him. The same reporting noted her anger over images of the fall circulating after the tragedy. A relative who did not want to be named publicly told ABC News Kariem “was a good, good man.”
Those details matter because they strip away the abstract language of “incident” and put a real person under the ride: a cancer survivor, a teacher, an uncle at a birthday trip who never made it home.
Atlanta Public Schools called Kariem a “cherished member of the Wesley International Academy.” A district spokesperson said his “presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched,” adding, “Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time.”
The academy itself went further on his daily work.
"His love for Wesley, dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did. Mr. Kariem was deeply loved and respected, and his absence will be felt throughout our school community."
His school bio listed what he liked best about the job: the chance to make a meaningful impact on students and staff through technology. In spare time he built custom products with a laser engraver and 3D printers, grilled new recipes, watched anime, and spent time with family and friends. That is the profile of a steady adult in kids’ lives, not a headline waiting to happen.
Six Flags said its park team and local authorities responded immediately and that the company is cooperating fully. A spokesperson offered condolences and said the firm is supporting guests and team members affected.
"We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest's family, friends, and loved ones."
Out of an abundance of caution, Six Flags temporarily closed similar attractions across its parks. That step covered Goliath plus nine similar hypercoasters in six theme parks across North America, a move also tracked in related coverage of Six Flags shutting nine coasters after the fatal fall. The company said it would not release more information out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, the state office responsible for amusement ride safety, said it is actively investigating. Press secretary Garrison Bennett said the team is conducting an in-depth review “to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and to ensure full compliance with all applicable policies and procedures.”
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, the Switzerland-based builder of Goliath, also opened its own review. Olivier Bolliger said the company is “deeply saddened by this tragic accident,” that thoughts are with the family and those affected, and that it will not comment further until it has a better understanding of what happened.
Roller coaster deaths remain rare. That fact does not erase what witnesses saw Monday, or the duty of parks, manufacturers, and state inspectors to explain how a seated guest left the train at height.
Breitbart noted Goliath has run at the park for about two decades and uses pull-down lap, or clamshell, restraints with redundant ratchet disks and a green-light dispatch system. U.S. oversight of stationary park rides is largely a state-level patchwork, with industry ASTM standards and layered inspections rather than direct federal regulation of those attractions.
Theme park consultant Dennis Speigel, a past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, has argued that with the checks in place, parks rank among the safest places to be. Roller coaster expert Martin Lewinson has described clamshell restraints as dependable and not so technically advanced that parks struggle to run them. Those industry claims now sit next to an ejection, injuries, and a body found under the ride. The public is entitled to more than reassurance slogans.
Common sense says high-speed, high-drop rides only stay acceptable if restraints hold, procedures hold, and investigators publish clear findings. Temporary closures of similar coasters are the minimum responsible step while that work is unfinished.
Families should not have to wonder whether a birthday trip ends under the track. Officials owe Kariem’s relatives, the injured guests, and every parent in that line a full accounting of what failed and what will change.
