Six Flags closes 9 North American roller coasters after families watch
man fall to his death
[October 14, 2026]
By KATE BRUMBACK, RUSS BYNUM, KATHY McCORMACK and JOHN SEEWER
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.
The nightmarish death prompted Six Flags to temporarily close nine
similar coasters across North America.
Police and a state agency that oversees ride inspections are
investigating, but many questions remained Tuesday, including how the
man fell out and whether there were problems with his restraints.
The man, a school employee from Atlanta, was killed Monday while riding
Goliath, the park's tallest roller coaster with a first hill of 200 feet
(61 meters).
“It looked like he was hovering because the car was moving underneath
him,” said Nick Mendenhall, who had just ridden Goliath with his son and
was watching the coaster cars passing overhead.
The man fell headfirst back into the coaster, Mendenhall said, then was
ejected from the ride on its final turn.
“It felt like slow-motion, but it happened in an instant,” Mendenhall
said. “I was just praying in those moments. I was praying: ‘God, please
let him stay in that car.’”
Goliath towers above the entrance at Six Flags Over Georgia just outside
Atlanta with a series of hills and turns. It doesn't take riders upside
down. There are no seat belts. Instead, riders are restrained with lap
bars that pull down over their legs and waist.
In a theme park industry that it is constantly introducing new thrills,
it's far from the world’s tallest, fastest or wildest coaster.
One family watched as the man flew out of the roller coaster
The man who died was 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, according to
Cobb County police. Investigators and park employees told investigators
that he was thrown from the coaster before striking other patrons.
Officials have not released any other information about the people who
were hurt.
Kariem worked as the information technology manager at a public charter
school and before that was a technology teacher.
In a statement, the Wesley International Academy said it was devastated,
saying Kariem's “dedication to our students, and commitment to our
school community were evident in everything he did.”
Summer Bates, who was at the park with her husband and three children,
saw Kariem fall. “One thing I think that will stick with us is the sound
of his body coming down," she said.
Bates said she and her family rode Goliath earlier in the day.
“My older two children rode on the cart ahead of us,” she said. “I
noticed they kept trying to push theirs down tighter. I assured them
that they were OK. But once my husband, youngest child and I loaded our
cart and headed up the incline, I quickly understood why my older two
were messing with theirs. It just didn’t feel secure and tight.”
Amusement ride oversight varies by state
In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks
such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government. That
responsibility falls to states.
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A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct.
12, 2026, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta. (AP
Photo/Emilie Megnien) Correction changes location to outside
Atlanta.
 Georgia’s Office of Insurance and
Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections, is
“conducting an in‑depth and comprehensive review,” of what happened,
said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.
In California, the state approves new rides and ones that have been
modified and either directly inspects them or relies on an annual
inspection by the owner. Florida’s largest theme parks are exempt
from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs.
Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and
Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own
protocols.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly introduced
legislation to change the federal law that allows U.S. safety
officials to regulate mobile rides but exempts major amusement
parks.
Opponents of federal oversight say serious injuries and fatalities
on amusement park rides are rare and often the result of riders not
following rules.
Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a
trade group, said the industry has multiple layers of inspection.
Six Flags closes roller coasters elsewhere
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. temporarily shut down roller coasters
at six of its theme parks in the U.S. and Canada. The parks were
already scheduled for seasonal midweek closures on Tuesday and
Wednesday.
Those rides include a second coaster named Goliath at Six Flags
Magic Mountain in Southern California; Raging Bull at Six Flags
Great America in Illinois; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New
Jersey; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina;
and the rides Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in
Ontario, Canada.
The company did not say why those specific rides were shut down or
what would be done before they reopen.
Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss company that manufactured the
coaster and many others worldwide, said it is actively investigating
and won't comment “until we have a better understanding of what
happened.”
“Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” it said.
___
Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia; McCormack from Concord, New
Hampshire; and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers
Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; Michael Biesecker in Pittsburgh; and
Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.
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