Atlanta educator fatally ejected from Six Flags rollercoaster

Six Flags closes nine rollercoasters at six parks amid investigation

Cobb County police on Tuesday identified the man who died after being ejected from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, an Atlanta educator and father of a 10-year-old daughter.

Kariem fell to his death after being ejected from his seat, and several other passengers were injured in the incident. Neither authorities nor Six Flags publicly identified which rollercoaster was involved, though video footage reviewed by news outlets showed passengers being evacuated from the park’s Goliath coaster.

Atlanta Public Schools confirmed that Kariem had worked at Wesley International Academy, starting his career there as a technology teacher before being promoted to IT manager.

“Atlanta Public Schools extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr Kariem,” an APS spokesperson said. “He was a cherished member of the Wesley International Academy and APS families whose presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched.”

Wesley International Academy did not immediately return a request for comment. Kariem’s family spoke with 11Alive’s Chase Houle and shared that he had overcome two bouts of cancer, the last in 2018. The family also said Kariem and his daughter had survived a car fire three weeks earlier, escaping unharmed.

The Cobb County Police Department’s major crimes unit has launched an investigation into Kariem’s death. The cause of the ejection and the conditions of the other injured passengers were not immediately known.

Since the fatal incident, Six Flags has temporarily closed nine rollercoasters across six amusement parks around the United States.

The coasters closure comes less than two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California announced the permanent closure of its X2 rollercoaster, amid lawsuits alleging the ride caused serious brain injuries. The park had previously settled one wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the X2 in 2022.

Last year, a 32-year-old man died after riding a high-speed rollercoaster at Universal’s Epic Universe theme park in Florida. He died from blunt impact injuries and his death was ruled accidental.

Six Flags Over Georgia remained closed for the park’s offseason schedule and was expected to reopen on Friday, according to a local Atlanta news station.