Six Flags temporarily shut down 10 roller coasters at seven theme parks Monday after a fatal incident at its Georgia location left one person dead and several others injured.
ATLANTA — Six Flags paused operations on 10 roller coasters across seven amusement parks on Monday, Oct. 12, following a deadly incident involving a ride at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Officials have not said how the man died, how the other riders were hurt or what their medical conditions were after the incident at the park, located roughly 15 miles northwest of Atlanta. Witnesses told Atlanta television station WXIA that a man appeared to be thrown from the Goliath roller coaster and struck the ride three times.
“He was in our pictures,” one witness told WXIA, referring to the ride’s souvenir photos. The witness said the man fell into the coaster car multiple times, struck other passengers and ultimately landed on the roof of a haunted house attraction below.
In an update issued around 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Cobb County Police Department identified the victim as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta.
Police said the preliminary findings indicate that Kariem was “ejected from the ride,” hit other riders and fell beneath the roller coaster.
Kariem’s family told WXIA reporter Chase Houle that he was a dedicated Atlanta educator who cared deeply about the city. Relatives also said he was passionate about helping bring families closer together.
Six Flags closed attractions resembling the Georgia coaster “out of an abundance of caution,” a spokesperson for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said. Employees and local authorities responded immediately, and the company is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” the spokesperson said, adding that Six Flags is supporting guests and employees affected by the event.
Neither authorities nor Six Flags specified which roller coaster was involved. Local television footage, however, showed passengers being evacuated from Goliath.
A Six Flags spokesperson issued the following statement to TEGNA:
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks. The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority.”
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Rides closed following Monday’s roller coaster death in Georgia:
- Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Canada — Behemoth and The Leviathan
- Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina — Fury 325 and Thunder Striker
- Kings Island in Mason, Ohio — Diamondback and Orion
- Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey — Nitro
- Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois — Raging Bull
- Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles County, California — Goliath
- Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia — Goliath
The company said it had not established a schedule for reopening the suspended rides and had no additional information to release at that time.
Bolliger & Mabillard INC., the Switzerland-based manufacturer associated with the roller coaster, expressed condolences to those affected and said it was reviewing what happened.
“We are actively investigating the incident and have no further comment until we have a better understanding of what transpired,” the company said in a statement.
According to the park’s website, Goliath opened in 2006 and climbs 200 feet before reaching speeds of up to 70 mph.
The approximately three-and-a-half-minute ride takes passengers through sharp turns and over towering hills, the website says.
Lisa Cupid, chairwoman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, said the victim’s next of kin had been notified.
“I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today, and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,” Cupid said. “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 the park plays an important role in Cobb County’s tourism industry, drawing visitors from throughout the Southeast.
The death would be at least the seventh at the Georgia park, including one in 2006 in which a man had a likely heart attack on the Goliath coaster, according to the Doan Law Firm, which tallies amusement park accidents and represents victims.
It also comes less than two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California announced the retirement of its famous X2 roller coaster following lawsuits alleging serious brain injury caused by the ride. The park settled one wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the coaster in 2022.
In 2025, a 32-year-old man died from blunt impact injuries after riding a high-speed roller coaster at the Universal Epic Universe theme park in Florida. His death was ruled accidental.