An Atlanta father and teacher died after falling from Six Flags Over Georgia’s Goliath roller coaster Monday as his son rode beside him and family watched from below.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, a metro Atlanta educator, plunged from the 200-foot hypercoaster just before 4 p.m. while on a ride with his son, the New York Post reported.
Cobb County police confirmed one person was dead and several others were reported injured after the incident at the Georgia amusement park. Witnesses said the man struck the train multiple times on the way down. His wife and daughter were watching from the ground.
Fox News Digital reported that the coaster stopped moving after the fall. Passengers were left stuck high on the track until emergency crews got them down. Video showed riders climbing out of the cars and using a staircase far above the ground.
A witness who spoke to local station WXIA said the man appeared in their ride photo as he fell.
The witness told the station:
"He was in our pictures."
And added:
"He fell and hit the car three different times."
Just the News also noted that account of a souvenir image capturing the fall, matching what police and park officials were already treating as a deadly ride incident under active investigation.
Another rider, speaking to 11 Alive and cited in the Post’s reporting, said the man did not land on her group directly. He struck a girl two rows ahead, then hit the cart three times. His son was right beside him and saw it happen.
Parkgoer Logan Conner described the moment in stark terms:
"He started levitating in the air sideways."
Riders later described blood on the train and a scene that left guests and staff shaken. Those are witness claims, not a completed police finding on cause.
Goliath is a 200-foot hypercoaster that, per the park’s own website, reaches speeds up to 70 mph. It features a 170-foot initial drop, a secondary 175-foot drop, a 540-degree spiral, and forces up to 4 Gs. Those are the numbers Six Flags advertises for a ride built to deliver height and speed.
A Six Flags spokesperson issued a statement after the death:
"We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected."
The park said its team and local authorities responded immediately and that it is cooperating fully with the investigation. It also said it would not share further details out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Cobb County police confirmed the timing, Monday just before 4 p.m., the death, and the report of several injuries. Officers did not immediately release more on how the fall happened or what failed, if anything, on the restraint system.
Post reporting, drawing on rider accounts, said Kariem slipped from his lap restraint before striking multiple cars and landing on a haunted house roof below. Police have not publicly adopted that as the official cause. The investigation remains open.
Authorities have not released a full incident report, named on-record officers, or stated whether equipment failure, a restraint problem, or another factor caused the fall. The exact number and severity of injuries beyond “several” reported hurt has not been detailed in the available official statements.
Kariem was described by those who knew him as a passionate educator and a father. He died on a family visit to one of the country’s major theme parks, on a flagship coaster marketed for its height and force. His son was in the next seat. His wife and daughter were on the ground.
Amusement parks sell thrills. They also owe guests working restraints, clear safety practice, and answers when something this final goes wrong. Families buy tickets expecting a hard ride home, not a funeral.
When a father leaves a coaster in a souvenir photo instead of walking out the gate, the public is right to demand a full accounting, not a polished statement and a closed gate on the facts.
