A 42-year-old man lost his life after a fall from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on October 12.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was reportedly enjoying the ride with his son when a tragic accident occurred. Eyewitnesses described the horrifying moment he was thrown from the coaster.
“He fell and hit the car three different times,” one witness recounted to 11 Alive News.
Another witness noted, “He fell onto a girl two rows in front of us.”
Witnesses indicated that the incident happened near a camera positioned along the ride, which recorded the shocking occurrence.
“You could see him above us flying off the cart in the pictures,” the male witness added.
The Cobb County Police Department acknowledged in a statement that “at approximately 3:58 p.m., officers working at the park responded to an incident involving a male guest on a roller coaster,” according to 11 Alive.
Upon arrival, officers found Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem (from Atlanta, Ga) beneath the ride, unresponsive and not breathing, as per their report.
They continued, “Officers immediately secured the scene and requested assistance from the Major Crimes Unit. Early findings based on witness and employee interviews indicate that Kariem was ejected from the ride and hit other guests before landing beneath the attraction.”
The exact cause of the incident remains unknown.
🚨🇺🇸 A man fell to his death from Six Flags Over Georgia’s Goliath coaster, and the moment was HORRIFICALLY captured on a souvenir photo Several others were hurt on the 200-foot, 70 mph ride before crews evacuated the riders still stranded on the track, and Six Flags has now shut similar coasters at parks across the country. This comes less than two weeks after Six Flags permanently closed X2 in California following a CNN investigation into years of brain injuries and deaths… Source: CNN, @Breaking911 / Writer: Daniel
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 13, 2026
The Cobb County Police Department, along with the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, are looking into the matter.
Kariem’s family shared with 11 Alive’s Chase Houle that he was a devoted educator who cherished his community and was dedicated to reuniting families.
While several others suffered injuries, further details about them have not been released.
Six Flags dad who died after falling from ‘Goliath’ roller coaster ID’d as Atlanta teacher https://t.co/Juu9cR163U https://t.co/BULGa9qIRl
— New York Post (@nypost) October 13, 2026
Out of an abundance of caution, Six Flags has temporarily closed nine other roller coasters across six parks.
