Six Flags Shuts Nine Lap-Bar Roller Coasters Across Six Parks After Goliath Rider Hassan Kariem, 42, Dies
The Atlanta school worker sat beside his niece on her birthday trip when he was thrown out, a relative says

Six Flags has temporarily shut nine additional roller coasters at six parks after Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died following an incident involving Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. Six Flags acted 'out of an abundance of caution,' a spokesperson said. Officials said the closed rides are like Goliath, which uses only a lap bar.
A relative told ABC News that Kariem was at the park on Monday for his niece's birthday. Reports said his son was seated beside him. Cobb County Police said he was 'ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction.' No one has said what went wrong, and state and county officials are investigating.
Which Additional Roller Coasters Six Flags Has Closed
Illinois's Six Flags Great America has halted Raging Bull, and California's Six Flags Magic Mountain has stopped its Goliath, which has a different layout. New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure has paused Nitro. Canada's Wonderland has closed Leviathan and Behemoth, and Carowinds, in Charlotte, has shut Fury 325 and Thunder Striker. Kings Island in Ohio has pulled Orion and Diamondback. The closures are temporary, but Six Flags has given no reopening date. Its first statement on the death appears below.
JUST IN: A man was killed after falling out of a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to @11AliveNews.
— Marcus Leshock (@marcusleshock) October 12, 2026
Witnesses told the news station that the person fell out of the Goliath roller coaster and struck the ride multiple times. Six Flags Over Georgia released this… pic.twitter.com/hbgaWhvDak
Opened in 2006, the Georgia Goliath stands 200ft (61m) tall and reaches 70mph (113km/h), the park says. Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, which designed the ride with a lap bar for each seat, said it was thinking of Kariem's family. Georgia's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire has opened its own review. The park was already scheduled to close Tuesday and Wednesday and is due to reopen Friday, its website says.
Who Hassan Kariem Was
Kariem worked at Wesley International Academy, a charter school in the city for children up to the age of 14. His school's website lists him as its IT manager. His family called him an educator, local station WXIA reported. Atlanta Public Schools said they would deeply miss his presence and impact. In a letter to parents, school leaders said everyone at the school would feel his loss.
Logan Conner, riding with his fiancée, said he saw Kariem separate from his seat and hit their car three times, NBC News reported. Officials told local station WSB-TV that four other people were injured. One guest, stuck on Goliath until staff helped the riders down, said operators 'need to do better', CNN reported. Cobb County commission chair Lisa Cupid said she could not imagine the horror visitors and staff had seen.
What Investigators Will Examine
Ride consultant Ken Martin told FOX 5 Atlanta that investigators would review the ride's upkeep, data, and records, as well as its restraint system and passenger limits. On 29 September, Magic Mountain announced the permanent closure of its X2 coaster amid lawsuits alleging brain injuries.
Two riders had suffered brain bleeds, and others made further injury claims, The Hollywood Reporter said. A woman died in 2013 after falling from the New Texas Giant, another Six Flags lap-bar ride. The coroner found that she came out of her seat and fell about 75ft (23m).
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