Story perspectives

Georgia safety probe targets Goliath after rider death

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 12:10 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Six Flags Shuts Down

Six Flags Over Georgia shut down the Goliath coaster after a rider was ejected and died.
The victim was 42-year-old Atlanta educator Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem.
Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner launched an in-depth investigation on Oct 12, 2026.
Designer Bolliger & Mabillard began its own safety review of Goliath.
Six Flags halted nine similar coasters at six U.S. and Canadian parks as a precaution.

Summary

Atlanta Public Schools Honor

Atlanta Public Schools issued a statement honoring Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem after his death at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Kariem was a father of a 10-year-old daughter and had survived two bouts of cancer.
His family said he and his daughter survived a car fire three weeks before the accident.
Six Flags Magic Mountain remained closed for the offseason and was slated to reopen Friday after the X2 coaster shutdown.

History

Historical Context

The Smiler crash on 2 June 2015 at Alton Towers, where a passenger train hit a stalled test train, injured five riders and led the HSE to issue a prohibition notice and later fine Merlin Entertainments £5 million. The incident forced temporary closures of other Merlin coasters and prompted industry-wide safety reviews, echoing earlier UK coaster collisions such as the 2009 two-train crash at another park.

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Six Flags Shuts Down

Six Flags Over Georgia shut down the Goliath coaster after a rider was ejected and died.
The victim was 42-year-old Atlanta educator Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem.
Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner launched an in-depth investigation on Oct 12, 2026.
Designer Bolliger & Mabillard began its own safety review of Goliath.
Six Flags halted nine similar coasters at six U.S. and Canadian parks as a precaution.

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