Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta, died Monday, October 12, 2026, after being ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Mableton, according to the Cobb County Police Department. Preliminary findings from witness and employee interviews indicate he struck other park guests before falling beneath the ride. Police and Georgia state safety officials are investigating, and no cause has been established. Six Flags has temporarily closed nine other coasters across six parks as a precaution.
A Monday afternoon at the park ended in tragedy for a school employee from Atlanta, and now investigators, riders, and a theme park company are asking how it happened.
What Happened on Goliath
Officers working at Six Flags Over Georgia responded at about 3:58 p.m. Monday and found Kariem beneath the ride, unresponsive and not breathing. The area was secured, and the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation. His family has been notified.
According to police, preliminary findings from witness and employee interviews indicate that Kariem was “ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction.” Several other people were injured, though reports have varied on how many. Some accounts say four, and police have not provided their conditions.
“Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said in a statement.
What Witnesses Say
Riders and nearby visitors described a frightening scene. Witnesses who spoke to Atlanta NBC affiliate WXIA said they saw Kariem fall from the ride, and at least two said they saw him strike parts of the coaster on the way down. Logan Conner, who was on the ride with his fiancé, said he saw Kariem come out of his seat.
“The man started levitating in the air sideways,” Conner said. “We made direct eye contact with him.”
Nicholas Mendenhall, who rode the coaster with his son about ten minutes earlier, was in the park and told TODAY he saw the moment it happened. “It was in slow motion,” he said. “It all happened so fast.”
Some passengers also said they saw him slip from his seat and heard unusual clicking sounds from the ride’s restraints beforehand. Investigators have not determined how Kariem became separated from his seat, and no official findings have confirmed whether a restraint malfunction played a role.
After the incident, the ride was stopped, leaving riders stranded at elevated sections of the track. Emergency crews evacuated them, and some reportedly waited more than an hour for rescue. CBS News Atlanta cameras captured riders being brought down from the ride’s largest hill using an emergency stairway.
About the Ride
Goliath stands about 200 feet tall and reaches speeds of up to 70 mph. The ride uses lap-bar restraints rather than over-the-shoulder harnesses. After the incident, Six Flags temporarily closed nine additional roller coasters across six parks as a precaution because those rides also use lap-bar restraints.
A park spokesperson said Six Flags was “deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” and that it is cooperating with investigators and supporting affected guests and employees. The company said details would not be shared immediately “out of respect for the family’s privacy.”
Who Was Hassan Kariem
Atlanta Public Schools said Kariem was a member of the community at Wesley International Academy, a public charter school for kindergarten through eighth grade in southeast Atlanta. Reports say he worked there as an IT manager.
In a letter sent to families and shared with NBC News, the school called him “a valued member of our Wesley family,” saying his loss “will be deeply felt throughout our school community.”
An APS spokesperson said: “His presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched. Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time.”
What’s Next
The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit and Georgia state safety officials are investigating the circumstances of Kariem’s death, and officials have not yet publicly established the cause.
