The man who fell to his death from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was an IT specialist and father-of-two who was on a trip with his family, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Hassan Kariem, 42, lost his life in a freak accident on the Goliath roller coaster at the theme park in Austell, Georgia on Monday, where he was thrown from his seat in front of horrified passengers.
A relative told the Daily Mail that Kariem’s passing in the freak accident was a ‘terrible shock’ to his family, and said they ‘just want to know what happened.’
Kariem, a resident of Atlanta, was an education technology professional at the Wesley International Academy, according to his social media.
An investigation into how Kariem fell to his death has been launched, with witnesses saying the father-of-two was flung from his seat by the roller coaster in front of the ride’s cameras.
Images circulating social media showed Kariem falling headfirst over other riders and out of the roller coaster, as families and small children recoiled in horror.
Witness Logan Conner told WXIA that Kariem began ‘levitating’ when he fell from the high-speed ride, and other riders ‘made direct eye contact with him’ before he struck the roller coaster several times on his way to the ground.
Riders said Kariem’s blood ‘splattered over everybody’ when he collided with the coaster’s frame.
Kariem was riding on the roller coaster with his son at the time, and his wife and young daughter watched on 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 the Daily Mail that Kariem’s passing 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 rollercoaster (above) at the theme park in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday
The Goliath roller coaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest roller coaster in all of Georgia.
The ride has now been temporarily closed, Six Flags said, along with a number of other rides at Six Flags attractions across the nation ‘out of an abundance of caution.’
It is unclear how exactly Kariem fell from the ride, with images showing he flew out of his seat head-first while other riders watched on.
Officials said first responders were called to the scene at around 4pm local time on Monday, and an investigation has been launched into how the man fell to his death.
One witness told 11Alive that Kariem struck the front of the roller coaster ‘right where the pictures are taken,’ and he collided with the frame of the roller coaster three times during the fall.
Kariem then fell behind a haunted house attraction that had been set up for Halloween, witnesses said.
One rider said the victim fell at the moment that the rollercoaster was ‘ascending up,’ and immediately others ‘heard a scream.’
‘We looked down, and we see 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 roller coaster to evacuate following the freak accident on Monday
The Goliath roller coaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest roller coaster in Georgia
Riders were left ‘screaming’ on the towering roller coaster 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.
‘You don’t see things like this happen. It should never happen.’
After Kariem was identified as the victim in the tragedy, Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement that he would be remembered as a beloved educator and technology professional in the district.
‘He was a cherished member of the Wesly International Academy and APS families whose presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched,’ the school district said.
‘Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time.’
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 roller coaster 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 roller coaster 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.
