Hᴀssan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta educator remembered by his school as a cherished technology teacher, IT manager and robotics coach, died on the afternoon of October 12, 2026, after being ejected from the Goliath hypercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. He had come to the park with family to celebrate his niece’s birthday and was seated directly beside her when the incident occurred around 3:58 p.m. Cobb County Police reported that preliminary interviews indicated he was ejected from the moving train, struck other patrons, and fell beneath the attraction, where he was found unresponsive and not breathing. Four minors among the other riders suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Family members have described him as a devoted father and two-time lymphoma survivor who had already overcome extraordinary hardship, including an earlier escape from a burning vehicle, making the sudden loss on a routine family outing especially devastating. Witness accounts collected by local and national outlets describe a violent sequence in which he appeared to come free of the seat, collided with the train multiple times, and ultimately fell toward the area below the track, with some reports placing the final impact near a haunted-house structure. Goliath, a roughly 200-foot Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster capable of speeds near 70 mph, relies on a single lap-bar style clamshell restraint that locks over the thighs and lower abdomen; it has no secondary seat belt or over-the-shoulder harness. Ride-safety experts have noted that if the primary restraint fails or opens under the forces of the ride, there is nothing else to keep a pᴀssenger contained.
The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which regulates amusement rides, stated that the coaster’s most recent inspection on March 16, 2026, recorded no violations, deficiencies or red tags, although inspectors had noted that certain bushings needed replacement. State investigators and police continue an intensive examination of the restraint system, maintenance logs, operator procedures, sensor data and video. A relative told reporters that Kariem appeared to lose consciousness before the restraint seemed to loosen. Other park guests who rode earlier that day reported difficulties getting restraints to lock properly and unusual clicking sounds. Six Flags has kept Goliath closed indefinitely while cooperating with authorities and has announced it will add seat belts to this ride and others that use similar restraint designs once clearances are obtained.
The company temporarily shut down nine additional similar hypercoasters across parks in the United States and Canada as a precaution. Shares of Six Flags Entertainment fell sharply in the days after the incident, with reports of double-digit percentage declines that pushed the stock toward levels not seen in many years, compounding existing financial pressures on the operator. No official cause has yet been publicly confirmed, and neither an autopsy report detailing a specific mechanical failure nor a filed class-action lawsuit has been released in the coverage examined. Legal observers note that potential claims could focus on the park operator, the manufacturer or maintenance practices once the investigation concludes, but liability remains unproven. The school district and family have asked the public not to engage with unauthorized fundraisers. As the investigation proceeds, the case has focused national attention on the design of high-speed coasters that depend on a single restraint, the thoroughness of pre-ride checks, and the safeguards that exist when something goes wrong at the top of a 200-foot structure.
