Six Flags Over Georgia Rollercoaster Accident Claims Life of Atlanta Educator
A 42-year-old Atlanta teacher died after being ejected from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, while several other riders were injured.
Police identified the victim of Tuesday's fatal rollercoaster accident at Six Flags Over Georgia as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta. Kariem was thrown from his seat on the park’s Goliath coaster and fell to his death; other passengers were injured, though their conditions have not been disclosed.
Kariem worked for Atlanta Public Schools, beginning as a technology teacher at Wesley International Academy before becoming an IT manager.
"Atlanta Public Schools extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr Kariem," a spokesperson said in a statement. "He was a member of the Wesley International Academy and APS families whose presence and impact will be missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched," the statement added.
Family members told local media that Kariem had survived two bouts of cancer, the most recent in 2018, and a car fire three weeks earlier that left him and his 10-year-old daughter unharmed.
Cobb County police’s major crimes unit is investigating the incident. The cause of the ejection and the extent of injuries to other riders remain unknown. Following the accident, Six Flags temporarily closed nine rollercoasters at six parks nationwide. The incident follows recent safety concerns at other U.S. amusement parks, including the permanent closure of the X2 coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain after lawsuits over brain injuries and a 2022 fatality on the same ride.