In the hours and days after Hᴀssan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia on October 12, 2026, the company shut down that coaster indefinitely and temporarily closed nine additional similar hypercoasters at six parks across the United States and Canada. The affected rides, mostly Bolliger & Mabillard models using comparable lap-bar restraints without secondary seat belts, included Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Diamondback and Orion at Kings Island, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland; additional temporary closures were reported at other parks.
The precautionary step followed police confirmation that the 42-year-old Atlanta educator had been ejected, struck other riders including four minors, and fallen beneath the attraction. Six Flags Entertainment shares dropped sharply, with multiple outlets reporting declines of 14 percent or more, at one point pushing the stock near levels not seen in roughly 17 years and compounding the company’s existing debt load and post-merger challenges. Goliath itself remains closed pending the outcome of investigations by Cobb County Police and the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.
The ride’s March 16, 2026, inspection had found no violations, deficiencies or red tags. Experts note that the coaster’s single clamshell lap-bar system leaves no secondary containment if the primary restraint fails under the forces generated at 200 feet and near 70 mph. Witnesses described Kariem colliding with the train multiple times before falling; a family relative indicated he may have lost consciousness shortly before the restraint appeared to loosen. Other guests reported earlier restraint-locking difficulties that same day. Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly announced that seat belts will be added to Goliath and other coasters with similar restraints, and the company has brought in independent engineers and inspection specialists.
The park itself reopened other attractions, including for seasonal events, while Goliath stays secured. No official cause has been confirmed publicly, no detailed autopsy findings establishing a specific equipment breakdown have been released in the reviewed coverage, and no class-action lawsuit has been identified as filed. The closures and market reaction have drawn attention to the financial and operational stakes of a single high-profile incident on a popular hypercoaster and to the broader questions of restraint design, maintenance documentation and regulatory oversight that investigators are now examining in depth.
