Overview
- The park reopened to the public on Friday while Goliath remained shut after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the ride and later died, witnesses and police say.
- State regulators from the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire and Cobb County’s Major Crimes Unit are conducting technical and criminal inquiries and the ride maker Bolliger & Mabillard has opened its own review.
- Official records show Goliath passed its most recent state inspection in March with no violations, and investigators are now re‑examining inspection reports, maintenance logs and ride footage.
- Six Flags temporarily closed at least 11 similar coasters across North America as a precaution, and independent reporting has highlighted hundreds of prior injury and malfunction reports at multiple Six Flags parks.
- The incident has focused attention on corporate practices and oversight because investor lawsuits allege deferred maintenance after Six Flags’ 2024 merger and U.S. law leaves fixed-site park regulation to uneven state systems rather than a single federal agency.