Six Flags Over Georgia says Goliath will reopen with new seat belts after 42-year-old educator Hassan Kariem was killed after becoming unrestrained and falling from the coaster earlier this month. The ride remains closed for now while safety reviews and retrofitting are completed.
On October 12, 2026, shortly before 4 p.m., Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta, was ejected from the Goliath hypercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell.
Goliath Roller Coaster To Reopen With New Seat Belts After Death
Preliminary accounts from Cobb County police, based on witness and employee interviews, indicated he became unrestrained, struck other passengers, and fell beneath the attraction, where officers found him unresponsive and not breathing. Four minors were among those injured and taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Kariem, an IT manager, technology teacher, and robotics coach at Wesley International Academy (a public charter school in Atlanta), was at the park with family to celebrate his niece’s 13th birthday and was seated next to her. Relatives described him as a dedicated educator of more than 12 years who had survived cancer twice and, weeks earlier, a car fire with his daughter. The school and Atlanta Public Schools called him a cherished colleague and mentor.
Goliath, manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 2006, stands about 200 feet tall, reaches speeds up to 70 mph, and lasts roughly 3.5 minutes.
It uses individual “clamshell” or waist/lap-bar restraints that leave the upper body free; it did not previously have seat belts or over-the-shoulder harnesses. The coaster had passed its most recent state inspection on March 16, 2026, with no major violations reported, though some maintenance notes (such as bushings) have been mentioned in records.
The park reopened days later for Fright Fest events, but Goliath has remained closed. Several similar B&M coasters with comparable restraints at other Six Flags parks were also temporarily closed out of caution. The cause of Kariem’s ejection has not been officially determined; investigations by Cobb County police and Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire continue, reviewing equipment, records, and procedures. Some accounts from family, citing the niece, suggested he may have lost consciousness during the ride.
In a statement to guests and passholders around October 23–24, Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly said the company is reinforcing safety measures, including installing seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with similar restraints. “We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” he stated.
Six Flags has also engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists for a broader review of safety procedures across its parks and is emphasizing operator training. Goliath and the other affected rides will stay closed pending the necessary reviews, engineering work, clearances, and retrofitting; no specific reopening date has been given. Reilly added that “trust is earned through actions and not words” and that the company takes the responsibility personally.
The addition of seat belts represents a significant change to the restraint system on Goliath and comparable rides (such as Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure and Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, which lacked them). Some similar coasters in the chain already had secondary seat belts. The move does not by itself establish that the original system malfunctioned, as the official investigation remains ongoing.
Roller coaster fatalities are rare, but the incident has renewed scrutiny of restraint designs on high-speed hypercoasters that rely primarily on lap bars. Six Flags operates more than 220 coasters across its parks and has stressed its overall safety record of billions of rides. Families of those affected, the school community, and investigators continue to seek answers while the park operates without the signature attraction.
