Horrified witnesses recount fatal rollercoaster incident at Six Flags
Police say preliminary information suggests the man who died at the Georgia amusement park fell from a ride.
Key points
- One person died and others were injured in an incident on a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta on Monday.
- Police say 42-year-old Atlanta resident Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath it.
- Six Flags temporarily closed nine rides across the US and Canada as a precaution while investigations continue.
One person died and others were injured in an incident on a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday, according to Cobb County Police. The park is located about 15 miles (24km) from Atlanta.
Police said the incident happened just before 16:00 local time (20:00 GMT). Officers working at the park found a man, identified as Atlanta resident Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, beneath the ride. He was unresponsive and not breathing.
Witness accounts of the incident
Police said preliminary information from witness and employee interviews indicated Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction. The ride involved was not specified, but aerial footage from news helicopters showed the Goliath rollercoaster stopped midway, with workers helping riders off.
CNN affiliate WXIA quoted a witness saying Kariem came loose from his seat, then struck the rollercoaster and some fellow riders before falling onto the roof of a nearby haunted house attraction. The witness said souvenir photos automatically taken during the ride captured the incident. A husband and wife on the ride told WXIA that Kariem fell and was struck by the rollercoaster, and that workers had checked their safety harnesses before it set off.
We design these rides, the industry does, to flirt with danger
— Brian Avery
Park response and investigations
Six Flags said it was temporarily closing nine rides across the US and Canada as a precaution. The company said it was "deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today" and expressed condolences to the guest's family, friends and loved ones. A park spokesperson said its team and local authorities responded immediately and were cooperating with an investigation.
The Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which enforces amusement park safety rules in Georgia, said it was reviewing the incident to ensure full compliance with all applicable policies and procedures. Mableton Mayor Michael Owens said the city's public safety director was coordinating with local police and park security. Brian Avery, a University of Florida professor specializing in amusement ride operations, told the BBC that rollercoasters are not federally regulated, leaving safety protocols and maintenance to states.
