A 42-year-old Atlanta educator died on October 12, 2026, after being ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Cobb County. Four days later the park reopened with Goliath closed, while investigations by Cobb County police and Georgia’s state safety regulator remain active and roller coasters at parks across the United States and Canada have been taken out of service.
This article summarizes what has been confirmed by law enforcement, regulators, and news outlets as of publication, what remains undetermined, and the general legal framework that applies to amusement park injuries in Georgia. No determination of fault or liability has been made in this matter, and nothing here should be read as an allegation against any party.
What Happened on October 12?
According to WSB-TV Channel 2, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster just before 4 p.m. on Monday, October 12. Police told the station that he struck other riders as he was thrown from the train and landed beneath the ride structure.
FOX 5 Atlanta, citing Cobb County Police, reported that officers already at the park responded at approximately 3:58 p.m. and found Mr. Kariem beneath the attraction, unresponsive and not breathing. He was later pronounced dead.
WSB-TV reported that four other people were injured and transported to hospitals. The severity of those injuries has not been publicly reported.
The ride was stopped after the incident, and NewsChopper 2 captured riders being evacuated from a train that remained on the track.
Mr. Kariem was a technology teacher at Wesley International Academy, according to FOX 5 Atlanta, which cited his professional profile. Atlanta Public Schools confirmed his employment and issued a statement extending “deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr. Kariem.” A district spokesperson told WSB-TV, “Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time.”
Who Is Investigating?
Two separate investigations are underway.
The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is leading the criminal investigation, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The unit has asked anyone with information to contact its tip line at (770) 499-3945. Officers told WSB-TV that the investigation remains active.
The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire is also investigating. That office administers amusement ride safety regulation in Georgia, including inspection and permitting requirements for permanent attractions. In a statement reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, the office said it is “actively investigating the tragic incident that occurred on Oct. 12.”
No federal agency has been identified as investigating in the reporting reviewed for this article. Unlike aviation or highway incidents, fixed-site amusement rides in the United States are regulated primarily at the state level rather than by a federal body, which means the state commissioner’s findings are likely to be central to any eventual public account of what happened.
No cause has been determined or announced by either investigating body.
Why Have Roller Coasters Closed Across North America?
In the days following the incident, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation temporarily removed multiple roller coasters from service at its parks in the United States and Canada. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that ten rides in total were closed, including Goliath in Georgia. The company said in a statement that, “Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks.”
The closures then extended beyond Six Flags. The Associated Press reported that SeaWorld Orlando confirmed it had taken its Mako coaster out of service with no set date to reopen, and that La Ronde in Montreal had removed its own Goliath from operation “while we conduct a thorough safety review in collaboration with the ride’s manufacturer.” By October 15, the AP’s count of halted coasters had reached eleven. Neither SeaWorld Orlando nor La Ronde publicly stated a reason for its closure.
The AP also reported that Six Flags had initially listed the Goliath at Magic Mountain in California among the closures, then removed it from an updated list, noting that the California ride was built by a different manufacturer and uses a different restraint system.
No source reviewed for this article indicates that any regulator ordered these closures. They appear, on the public record, to be voluntary decisions by the operators.
What Is Known About the Goliath?
According to the Associated Press, the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia was built by Bolliger & Mabillard, a Swiss roller coaster manufacturer, and opened in 2006. Its first hill rises to approximately 200 feet, and the ride reaches a top speed of about 70 miles per hour. It does not invert riders.
The AP reported that this ride does not use backup or secondary restraints, such as a seat belt in addition to the primary over-the-shoulder or lap restraint.
Bolliger & Mabillard declined to answer questions about the shutdowns, telling the AP by email that it would have no further comment until it had a “better understanding of what transpired.”
Several witnesses described restraint concerns to the AP. One parent, Erica Billups, said her children rode roughly an hour before the death and that a seat restraint repeatedly unlocked; she said the coaster departed with an empty seat and a raised harness. Another, Summer Bates, said her children repeatedly tried to push their restraints down.
Industry consultant Dennis Speigel told the AP that the closures were “almost certainly” related to restraint systems, and University of Florida professor Brian Avery has advocated for backup restraints on rides of this type.
These are witness recollections and expert opinions. They are not findings, and no investigating agency has stated a cause. Six Flags did not immediately respond to the AP’s question about restraints.
The Park Has Reopened. What Does That Mean?
Six Flags Over Georgia reopened on Friday, October 16 — four days after the incident — with Goliath remaining closed. The reopening was widely reported, including by CNN and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A reopening is an operational decision by a park, and it does not indicate that an investigation has concluded or that a cause has been identified. At the time of reopening, both the Cobb County police investigation and the state commissioner’s investigation remained open, and additional coasters elsewhere in North America had been taken out of service within the preceding days.
What Does Georgia Law Say About Amusement Park Injuries?
The following is general information about Georgia law and is not an assessment of this incident or of any party’s conduct.
In Georgia, an owner or operator who invites members of the public onto its premises generally owes those visitors a duty of ordinary care to keep the premises and approaches safe. Claims arising from injuries on business property are commonly analyzed under premises liability principles, which can involve questions about inspection, maintenance, staffing, training, and whether a hazard was known or should have been known.
Where an injury is alleged to involve the equipment itself rather than how a property was maintained, product liability principles may also be relevant, and the manufacturer of the equipment may become a party. Georgia product liability law includes a statute of repose that can limit claims based on the age of a product, which is a significant consideration for any attraction that has been in operation for many years.
When someone dies, Georgia’s wrongful death statutes allow certain surviving family members to bring a claim for the full value of the decedent’s life, and a separate estate claim may exist for items such as medical expenses, funeral costs, and the decedent’s conscious pain and suffering before death.
Georgia also imposes strict filing deadlines. Personal injury and wrongful death claims are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations, and certain claims involving government entities carry much shorter notice requirements. Because evidence in a case of this kind — maintenance logs, inspection records, ride control data, employee statements, and the physical condition of the attraction itself — can change or become unavailable over time, preservation issues can arise early.
What Should You Do If You Were Injured or Present at the Park?
If you were hurt, or if you were on or near the ride when this occurred, the following general steps may help protect both your health and any future claim.
- Seek medical attention, even if you feel fine. Injuries from being struck or from sudden restraint and deceleration forces are not always immediately apparent, and a contemporaneous medical record establishes timing.
- Request a copy of any incident report. Parks typically document guest injuries internally. Ask what report was created and how to obtain a copy.
- Preserve everything you already have. Photographs, videos, ticket and parking receipts, text messages to family, and the clothing you were wearing can all matter later.
- Write down what you remember while it is fresh. Note the time, your car number and seat position, what staff said, and the names of anyone you spoke with.
- Be careful with recorded statements and early settlement offers. Insurers and corporate representatives may contact you quickly. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement before you have spoken with your own attorney.
Speak With a Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a family member was injured at Six Flags Over Georgia, you may have questions about your rights, about what records exist, and about what deadlines apply to you. Our team can walk you through those questions at no cost and with no obligation.
Contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free case evaluation, or call us 24/7 at (833) 254-2923.
