“HE SURVIVED CANCER, BUT HIS LIFE ENDED IN A THEME PARK tᩚraɢedy”: Family Mourns Atlanta Father Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42
After overcoming cancer twice and surviving a frightening car fire just weeks earlier, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was remembered as a devoted father and beloved educator.

His sudden dєatᩚh on a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia has left his family, colleagues and community searching for answers.

A family trip that should have created happy memories ended in unimaginable heartbreak when 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died in an incident involving a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on October 12, 2026.

Kariem, from Atlanta, Georgia, was riding the Goliath attraction when he was ejected from the coaster, according to preliminary information released by Cobb County police.

Authorities said he struck other patrons before falling beneath the ride.

Emergency responders found him unresponsive, and he was later pronounced dead.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

Officials have not yet established what caused him to be ejected from the attraction.

For those who knew Kariem, however, the tᩚraɢedy is about much more than a frightening amusement-park incident.

It is the loss of a father, a family member, a colleague and a man whose life had already been marked by extraordinary resilience.

A FATHER WHO HAD ALREADY OVERCOME SO MUCH
In the weeks following Kariem’s dєatᩚh, details emerged about the challenges he had faced before his final trip to the amusement park.

According to reports from NBC News and local television station WXIA, Kariem had survived cancer twice, with his most recent battle ending in 2018.

He had also experienced a serious illness involving COVID-19 and a bacterial lung infection that once left him fighting for his life in hospital.

Despite those health challenges, Kariem continued to pursue the activities he loved.

In July 2026, he completed the Peachtree Road Race, a major 10-kilometre event in Atlanta.

He had previously shared his determination to keep moving forward despite medical advice that had raised concerns about his ability to run.

His story was one of perseverance and faith — a man who had faced difficult moments and continued looking ahead.

Then, just weeks before the roller coaster incident, Kariem and his 10-year-old daughter reportedly survived a fiery car accident without injuries.

For his loved ones, the sequence of events makes his sudden dєatᩚh even more difficult to comprehend.

A BELOVED EDUCATOR WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
Away from his personal challenges, Kariem devoted much of his professional life to education and technology.

He worked as an information technology manager at Wesley International Academy in Atlanta Public Schools.

Before taking on that role, he had worked as a technology teacher and robotics coach.

His work brought him into contact with students, teachers and colleagues who relied on his knowledge, dedication and support.

Atlanta Public Schools issued a statement expressing condolences to his family and describing him as a cherished member of the Wesley International Academy and wider school community.

The school said his commitment to students and his dedication to the institution had been evident throughout his years there.

For colleagues, his dєatᩚh meant losing someone whose contribution extended beyond a job title.

For students, it meant the absence of an educator who had helped them learn and explore the possibilities of technology.

The school community was left grieving alongside a family trying to make sense of an unexpected loss.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE GOLIATH ROLLER COASTER?

The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday, October 12, at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, near Atlanta.

According to Cobb County police, preliminary interviews with witnesses and park employees indicated that Kariem was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster before falling beneath the attraction.

Several other people were reportedly injured in the incident.

The ride was stopped, and authorities began investigating what had happened.

The park said it was cooperating with investigators and providing support to affected guests and employees.

Some witnesses later told news outlets that they had concerns about the ride’s restraints before the coaster departed.

Those accounts have raised questions, but they do not establish what caused the incident.

As of the reports cited here, investigators had not publicly confirmed a definitive explanation involving the safety restraints or the ride’s mechanical systems.

The distinction is important: the tᩚraɢedy has prompted serious questions, but the answers depend on the investigation and any subsequent official findings.

HIS FAMILY IS ASKING FOR PRIVACY — AND WARNING ABOUT FAKE FUNDRAISERS
As messages of sympathy spread online, Kariem’s relatives issued an important request to the public.

The family expressed gratitude for the kindness and support they had received, but clarified that they had not authorised any crowdfunding campaigns or donation requests in his name.

They urged people not to send money to unauthorised fundraising accounts and asked media outlets and content creators not to share footage of his final moments.

The family said that if a scholarship or memorial fund were established in the future, any announcement would come through an officially designated representative.

Their message was a reminder that, during moments of public tᩚraɢedy, families need both compassion and protection from misleading appeals.

For those wishing to honour Kariem’s memory, respecting the family’s wishes is one way to show genuine support.

A COMMUNITY REMEMBERS A MAN OF RESILIENCE
Kariem’s dєatᩚh has affected people across several parts of his life: his family, his school community and those who knew him through his interests and personal journey.

His story has also drawn attention to the unpredictability of life.

He had endured serious illnesses, returned to running and continued building a career centred on helping others.

Yet the most meaningful parts of his legacy are not the hardships he survived.

They are the relationships he built, the students he helped and the family members who loved him.

For his loved ones, the challenge now is to carry those memories through a period of profound grief while waiting for investigators to establish what happened.

REMEMBERING HASSAN BEYOND THE HEADLINES
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was 42 years old.

He was a father, an educator and a technology professional whose work touched the lives of people around him.

He had faced serious health challenges and continued to pursue life with determination.

He had plans, responsibilities and people who counted on him.

His dєatᩚh at Six Flags Over Georgia has left a family grieving and a community remembering the man they knew beyond the headlines.

His story is not only about the questions surrounding a tragic roller coaster incident.

It is also about a father who persevered through illness, an educator who gave his time to students and a man whose life mattered deeply to the people around him.

As the investigation continues, his family deserves privacy, accurate information and the space to grieve without the added burden of unauthorised fundraising appeals or distressing footage.

Sources: CBS News Atlanta; WSB-TV; NBC News; FOX 5 Atlanta; Atlanta Public Schools; Cobb County Police Department.