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4h ago

Six Flags to Add Seat Belts After Rider Ejected From Goliath

Independent engineers will audit Six Flags’ safety procedures before Goliath is cleared to reopen.

In this aerial view, The train of the Goliath roller coaster is seen on the track where it was evacuated at Six Flags over Georgia on October 14, 2026 in Austell, Georgia.
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The entrance to the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park in Mableton, Ga., is seen Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback)
The Goliath roller coaster train sits on the track where riders were evacuated at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Overview

  • A 42-year-old rider, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, was ejected from the Goliath coaster on Oct. 12 and died after witnesses and an on‑ride photo suggested a clamshell lap restraint appeared loose or failed.
  • On Oct. 23 Six Flags’ CEO John Reilly said the company will add seat belts to Goliath and to other coasters with similar restraints and has hired independent engineers and ride inspectors to review safety across its parks.
  • Goliath remains closed pending safety reviews and clearances, and eight additional Bolliger & Mabillard‑designed coasters at five other parks are offline as a precaution.
  • Georgia regulators and the Cobb County police are conducting technical and criminal reviews and have not identified a definitive mechanical or operational cause, even though Goliath passed a March state inspection and earlier maintenance logs flagged components such as bushings.
  • The move underscores that U.S. ride oversight is largely state based, that many parks use clamshell lap bars without separate seat belts, and that the retrofit and audit could change operating procedures, reopening timelines and legal scrutiny for Six Flags.