A 42-year-old man has died after being thrown from a 200-foot rollercoaster at a Six Flags theme park in Georgia, United States, striking other riders before falling to the ground below.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, an Atlanta resident, died on Monday, October 12, while riding the Goliath rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to Cobb County Police.
In a statement released on Tuesday, police said preliminary information gathered from witness and employee interviews indicated that Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other visitors before falling beneath the attraction.
Officers responding to the incident at about 3.58pm found him beneath the ride, unresponsive and not breathing. The department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene as the rollercoaster continued moving.
Nick Mendenhall, who had ridden Goliath with his son earlier that day, told the Associated Press that he watched Kariem rise out of his seat as the coaster passed overhead.
“It looked like he was hovering because the car was moving underneath him,” Mendenhall told the AP.
He said Kariem fell headfirst back into the coaster before being thrown out during its final turn.
“It felt like slow-motion, but it happened in an instant,” Mendenhall said. “I was just praying in those moments. I was praying: ‘God, please let him stay in that car.’”
The Goliath reaches a height of 200 feet (about 61 metres) and speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (113km/h). The ride uses lap bars to secure passengers rather than seat belts.
Investigators are examining how Kariem was ejected from the ride and whether there were problems with his restraints. Authorities have not confirmed a mechanical failure.
Four other people were reported injured in the incident, according to local broadcaster WSB-TV. Their conditions were not immediately available.
Six Flags temporarily closed nine rollercoasters across six amusement parks in the United States and Canada following the incident as a precautionary measure.
The affected attractions included another Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, Raging Bull in Illinois, Nitro in New Jersey, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker in North Carolina, and Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario.
The company that manufactured Goliath, Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, said it was investigating the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” the company said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press.
Kariem worked as an IT manager at Wesley International Academy, a charter school in Atlanta, where he had served for more than 12 years.
The school described him as a beloved colleague whose dedication to students and the institution was evident in his work.
The investigation by Cobb County Police and state ride-safety officials remains ongoing.