Man ejected from Goliath roller coaster dies at Six Flags Over Georgia

A 42-year-old Atlanta man died after being ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday afternoon. Cobb County Police identified him as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem. Preliminary accounts from witnesses and employees indicate he left his seat, struck other patrons, and then fell beneath the ride.

The incident occurred around 4 p.m. local time near Austell, about 15 miles west of downtown Atlanta. The park was open on the Columbus Day holiday. Goliath reaches a height of 200 feet and a top speed of 70 mph. Aerial footage showed the train stopped on the track while riders were evacuated. Witnesses told local stations that Kariem appeared to come loose, hit the car more than once, and landed on the roof of a nearby attraction.

Kariem worked as the information-technology manager at a public charter school in Atlanta and had previously taught technology there. Relatives said he was at the park with family members for a niece’s birthday and was seated beside the niece when the ejection occurred. Several other people were injured; authorities have not released details of their conditions.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation temporarily closed nine similar hypercoasters at six parks in the United States and Canada “out of an abundance of caution.” The company said staff and local authorities responded immediately and that the park is cooperating with the investigation. The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which oversees amusement-ride standards, is also reviewing the case for compliance with applicable rules.

Investigators have not yet stated how Kariem left the restraint system. Police noted that preliminary information points to ejection rather than a medical event on the ride. The manufacturer of the coaster is assisting with the inquiry. Six Flags has not identified the specific ride in its own statements, though local television showed passengers being helped from Goliath.

The death is at least the seventh linked to the Georgia park since it opened in 1967, according to tallies kept by injury attorneys. It follows the recent retirement of another high-profile Six Flags coaster in California after lawsuits alleging brain injury. For the moment the public facts are limited to the police identification of the victim, the witness descriptions of ejection and impact, the temporary closure of similar rides, and the dual investigations by local police and state safety officials.

Place: Austell, Georgia. Date: 12–13 October 2026.