[REVISION HISTORY]

Six Flags Over Georgia Goliath coaster fatality

Updated 16 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-25 02:31 UTC → 2026-10-26 19:31 UTC · added ~~removed~~

On October 12, a fatal accident occurred on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta. Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old teacher and IT manager, was ejected from his seat, striking the ride structure and other passengers before falling to the ground. Four juveniles sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident. Investigations are being conducted by the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit and the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire. While the Goliath coaster passed its annual inspection in March 2026 with no violations, historical inspections between 2016 and 2021 documented 18 violations, including issues with “weld corrosion and loose handrails.” Witnesses raised concerns regarding “loose or ineffective safety restraints” and reported hearing “weird clicking” during the ride. Some witnesses also noted the coaster had been briefly closed for maintenance due to a wasp nest shortly before the accident. In response to the incident, Six Flags temporarily closed approximately 12 roller coasters across North ~~America.~~ America, including several Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) models. As of October 21, Six Flags Over Georgia has reopened to the public and resumed its Fright Fest Halloween events, though the Goliath coaster remains ~~closed while state investigators continue their work. Park president Richard Pretlow issued a statement expressing condolences~~ closed. The park also renamed its Halloween event from “Dr. Fright’s Dead Man’s Party” to ~~the victim's family and reiterating~~ “Dr. Fright’s Party” out of respect for the ~~company's commitment to safety standards.~~ victim. On October 24 and 25, Six Flags CEO John Reilly announced that the company will install seat belts on the Goliath coaster and eight other similar rides across its portfolio. As a precaution, all nine ~~Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)~~ B&M hypercoasters within the Six Flags chain have been temporarily closed pending safety reviews. The company has also engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to conduct a comprehensive audit of safety procedures across its 34 North American amusement parks. ~~Officials noted that adding seat belts is a precautionary measure and does not confirm a malfunction of existing systems.~~

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