Overview
- A 42-year-old man, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, was ejected from the Goliath coaster and later found dead after the ride incident on Monday, Oct. 12, while four minors were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
- Six Flags reopened the park for normal operations on Friday but has kept Goliath secured and out of service while the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire in Georgia, Cobb County police and engineers continue on-site examinations.
- The state agency said Goliath passed its most recent annual inspection on March 16 with no violations noted, and investigators are now reviewing maintenance logs, inspection records, ride hardware and operator procedures.
- Out of caution Six Flags has also paused nine similar hypercoasters at multiple parks and the ride manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, is participating in analyses as legal and regulatory scrutiny grows over the company’s prior safety reports and lawsuits.
- Permanent amusement rides are regulated by states rather than the federal CPSC, a 45-year-old regulatory gap that produces widely varying inspection rules and has prompted renewed calls for stronger national oversight.