The man who fell to his death from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was a 42-year-old IT specialist and father of two who had been visiting the theme park with his family, Our News Outlet can reveal.
Hassan Kariem died in what witnesses described as a freak accident on the Goliath roller coaster at the Austell, Georgia, park on Monday. He was thrown from his seat in front of horrified riders.
A relative told Our News Outlet that Kariem’s death had been a “terrible shock” for the family, adding that they “just want to know what happened.”
Kariem, who lived in Atlanta, worked as an education technology professional at Wesley International Academy, according to information shared on his social media accounts.
An investigation is now under way to determine how Kariem fell from the ride. Witnesses said the father of two was flung from his seat in view of cameras positioned along the roller coaster.
Images shared on social media appeared to show Kariem falling headfirst over other passengers and out of the roller coaster as families and young children recoiled in horror.
Witness Logan Conner told WXIA that Kariem appeared to be “levitating” after falling from the high-speed ride. Other passengers, Conner said, “made direct eye contact with him” before he struck the roller coaster several times on the way to the ground.
Riders said blood “splattered over everybody” after Kariem collided with the coaster’s frame.
Kariem had been riding with his son, while his wife and young daughter watched from nearby.
Hassan Kariem, 42, has been identified as the man who tragically fell to his death from a Six Flags roller coaster in Austell, Georgia, on Monday
A relative told Our News Outlet that Kariem’s death in the freak accident was a “terrible shock” to his family
The victim died and several others were injured during an incident on the 200-foot-tall Goliath roller coaster (above) at the theme park in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday
The Goliath roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 70 mph and rises more than 200 feet into the air. It is the tallest roller coaster in Georgia.
Six Flags said the ride had been temporarily closed, along with several other attractions at its parks nationwide, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Officials have not said exactly how Kariem fell from the roller coaster. Images appeared to show him flying headfirst from his seat as other riders looked on.
First responders were called to the scene at about 4 p.m. local time on Monday, officials said. An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the fatal fall.
One witness told 11Alive that Kariem struck the front of the roller coaster “right where the pictures are taken.” The witness said he hit the ride’s frame three times during the fall.
Witnesses said Kariem then fell behind a haunted house attraction that had been installed for Halloween.
One rider said the fall occurred as the roller coaster was “ascending up,” after which passengers immediately “heard a scream.”
“We looked down, and we saw people running and panicking,” he said.
‘So as soon as that happened, as we’re ascending, we got stuck, and we didn’t know if it was a problem with ours or something else; maybe it was something else, but that was before we heard the news that everyone else has heard.’
Riders seen walking down the side of the rollercoaster to evacuate following the freak accident on Monday
The Goliath rollercoaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest rollercoaster in Georgia
Riders were left ‘screaming’ on the towering rollercoaster after the man fell to his death
Another witness described the moment the roller coaster struck the victim as: ‘The ride hit him, and then he flew back up again, and it hit him again, and then that’s when he was, I guess, flung from the ride.’
‘It went from having a great time to just screaming, ‘Oh my God, what is happening,” he added.
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‘You don’t see things like this happen. It should never happen.’
Following the tragedy, a Six Flags spokesperson said in a statement: ‘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.’
‘The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.’
The spokesperson said the park was providing support for anyone affected, and would not be immediately commenting further ‘out of respect for the family’s privacy.’
In a separate statement, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said it has also closed similar rides at other parks ‘out of an abundance of caution.’
A father who tragically fell to his death from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia flew over other riders and landed on a haunted house during the fatal fall, witnesses say
Six Flags closed the attraction following the tragedy
Cobb County Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid also called it a ‘terrible tragedy’ as she announced that the man’s next of kin have been notified about his untimely passing.
‘I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,’ she said, asking the public to ‘please keep in your thoughts the family of the deceased, those who were injured, the employees and leadership of Six Flags and our community.
‘We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories,’ Cupid said.
It remains unclear what may have caused the tragedy.
The Goliath, which was manufactured by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, opened at the park in 2006, and its 200-foot top altitude makes it the tallest rollercoaster in Georgia.
During about 3 1/2 minutes, riders ‘navigate through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills,’ the website says.
It comes just one month after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it was demolishing its notorious X2 roller coaster, following a series of lawsuits alleging it had caused severe injuries to riders.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced last month it was demolishing its notorious X2 rollercoaster following a series of lawsuits alleging it had caused severe injuries to riders
Christopher Hawley (center), 22, died after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Mountain Magic with his brother and cousin in 2022
Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, seen left, collapsed after the ride and had massive brain bleeding, while Pamela Guillen, 40, seen right suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2
The theme park had settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died after riding the coaster in 2022, and three other lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed.
The ride had then been closed since the evening of July 12, after two women who rode the coaster less than a week apart needed to be rushed to the hospital.
One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, collapsed shortly after the ride ended and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside the skull that required emergency brain surgery.
She now remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator.
Her family has filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on her behalf, with her attorneys saying that more than 100 people have claimed they suffered brain injuries from the roller coaster over the past two years.
Another woman, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2 at Six Flags in Valencia, California.
Her daughter, Camille Marquez, told CNN: ‘We got off the cart and we saw my mom. She looked lifeless. Not a thought behind her eyes, nothing.’
More lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks, the lawyers then vowed.
