The Cobb County Police Department has publicly identified the 42-year-old man who died after being thrown from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta.
Victim Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta was riding the coaster just before 4 p.m. Monday when he was suddenly ejected, striking other riders before falling beneath the coaster, police said on social media.
Several other riders were injured in the incident; the Cobb County Police Department did not mention their conditions in its announcement Tuesday.
People were interested in these podcasts
The authorities did not specify which ride Mr. Kariem was on, but witnesses said that it was the Goliath roller coaster. Logan Conner, who was on the ride at the time of the incident, told NBC News that “The man started levitating in the air sideways. We made direct eye contact with him.”
A woman who did not provide her name told WXIA-TV that Mr. Kariem was on the ride with his son, and that his wife and daughter witnessed the incident from the ground.
In addition to the police, the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire is also investigating the incident, according to WSB-TV.
Six Flags has shut down the 20-year-old ride, which has drops as steep as 20 feet and speeds of up to 70 mph, in the aftermath of the incident. A spokesperson told NBC News Monday that the company has temporarily shut down nine similar rides at its other parks in North America. The affected rides are:
— Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland, about 15 miles northwest of Toronto.
— Diamondback and Orion at Kings Island, about 22 miles northeast of Cincinnati.
— Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, about 10 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.
— Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, about 32 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
— Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, about 40 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
— Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, about 37 miles northwest of Chicago.
“Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones,” a Six Flags Entertainment Corporation spokesperson told WSB-TV. “We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected. The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.”
Oliver Bolliger, who works for the ride’s Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, said that “our thoughts are with the family and those affected. We are actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened,” according to ABC News.
Mr. Kariem worked at Wesley International Academy, a charter school in the Atlanta Public Schools system.
In a statement, the school district said that Mr. Kariem’s “presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched. Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time,” according to ABC News.
The school, where Mr. Kariem served as IT manager, robotics coach and technology teacher, said in a statement that their “community is devastated by the loss of Hassan Kariem, affectionately known as Mr. Kariem, who was a beloved colleague, friend, and integral part of the Wesley family for more than 12 years. … Our hearts are with his family, friends, colleagues, students, and all who knew and loved him as we mourn this tremendous loss,” according to WXIA-TV.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.