Six Flags Closes 9 North American Roller Coasters after Families Watch Man Fall to His Death
ATLANTA (AP) — Witnesses watched in horror as a man riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was ejected from his seat, almost seeming to hover above the car before hitting several people and falling to his death.
A man tragically died while riding the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, prompting the park to close nine similar coasters across North America. The incident occurred when the man was ejected from his seat, appearing to hover before hitting several people and falling to his death. Police and a state agency overseeing ride inspections are now investigating the cause of the accident.
The man, identified as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, worked as an information technology manager at a public charter school. Witnesses reported that the man seemed to hover because the coaster car was moving underneath him. Goliath, the park's tallest coaster with a 200-foot first hill, does not take riders upside down and relies on lap bars for restraint.
The park's parent company, Six Flags Entertainment Corp., temporarily shut down the affected coasters, including Goliath at six other locations. The company has not disclosed the reason for the closures or the plans for reopening.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
