Did Six Flags Ignore Ride Safety Warnings? Faulty Lap Bars, Derailments and Broken Bones Before Fatal Coaster Accident

Previous safety incidents involving roller coaster restraints, equipment failures and reported injuries at Six Flags parks have come under renewed scrutiny following the death of a rider at Six Flags Over Georgia on Oct. 12.

A CNN analysis published Oct. 15 found that state records and court filings documented restraint problems, a 2024 roller coaster derailment and hundreds of injury reports involving Six Flags parks in recent years. The findings have drawn attention to ride safety as investigators work to establish why a 42-year-old man was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster near Atlanta.

The rider, identified as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, died after being thrown from the attraction. Authorities have not determined what caused him to leave his seat, and no finding has linked his death to the incidents documented at other Six Flags parks.

The records reviewed by CNN covered more than a dozen parks in three states over five years. Six Flags said the incidents involved different parks, attractions, years, jurisdictions and circumstances, and that variations in state reporting requirements could affect the data.

Previous Safety Reports Detail Restraint Problems and Injuries

CNN reported that regulators in one state had received nearly 300 accident reports involving Six Flags parks since 2021. The reports covered incidents including dislocated joints, concussions, broken bones and chemical burns.

However, the available records contained limited details, and some reported incidents may have involved heat exposure or medical conditions rather than ride malfunctions.

At Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, park officials reported a train derailment in 2024 caused by equipment failure that resulted in minor injuries, according to CNN. State records also documented cases in which lap bars reportedly opened during rides, sometimes because of broken bolts.

The findings do not establish that a similar malfunction caused Kariem’s death in Georgia. Investigators have not released a cause, and the Goliath incident remains under examination.

Lawsuit Alleges Repairs Were Deferred

Court filings and state records reviewed by CNN also detailed an incident in August 2022 in which more than a dozen people were reportedly injured after a violent jolt on a ride.

A month later, state authorities deemed the attraction “structurally compromised,” according to a legal complaint. The ride remained closed until June 2023.

A lawsuit cited in CNN’s analysis alleged that Six Flags “had for years deferred or foregone” necessary repairs. The claim remains an allegation, and no court ruling establishing the company’s liability has been identified in the material reviewed.

The records add to questions about maintenance and inspection practices at amusement parks, although the historical incidents should not be treated as evidence of the cause of the Georgia fatality.

Earlier Death and Ride Retirement Drew Scrutiny

Safety concerns involving Six Flags attractions have also followed earlier fatal incidents.

In 2013, a woman died after being thrown from the Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas, according to CNN. Witnesses reportedly said she had expressed concern that the safety bar was not fully engaging.

Six Flags said an investigation found no mechanical failure. The ride later reopened with a redesigned restraint system and seat belts.

CNN also reported that police records documented a woman’s claim that her daughter had filmed the ride’s restraint bar opening spontaneously a week before the fatal incident.

Separately, Six Flags announced in September that it would retire the X2 roller coaster in California after lawsuits alleged brain injuries. The park said the attraction had passed safety tests but that retiring it was “the right thing to do,” according to reports.

The earlier cases involved different rides and circumstances. Their relevance to the current investigation depends on the findings of the authorities examining the Goliath incident.

Rider Ejected From Goliath Near Atlanta

The fatal incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. local time on Oct. 12 at Six Flags Over Georgia, approximately 15 miles from Atlanta.

Officers found Kariem, an Atlanta resident, beneath the ride. He was unresponsive and not breathing, according to the Cobb County Police Department.

“Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interview indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction,” police said.

Four other people were injured, according to local television station WSB-TV.

Kariem worked at Wesley International Academy, a charter school in Atlanta, the school told CNN. Six Flags said it was “deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park.”

Inspectors Examine Goliath’s Restraints

Goliath remains closed while Georgia safety inspectors investigate the incident, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

State inspectors and Cobb County detectives are examining the ride’s lap bar restraints, locking mechanisms and computerized safety sensors. Investigators have not announced whether any of these components malfunctioned.

Six Flags also temporarily closed nine rides across the United States and Canada as a precaution, according to reports.

Brian Avery, a University of Florida professor who studies amusement ride operations, said roller coasters are not federally regulated and that states establish their own safety rules.

“When these types of tragedies happen, you got to get to the bottom as to why, so we can move forward and address those issues so that they never happen again,” Avery told the BBC.

Six Flags Responds to Safety Concerns

Six Flags said reported guest injuries are taken seriously and reviewed, according to CNN. The company did not comment specifically on the injuries documented in the regulatory records reviewed by the network.

The company also said every ride “undergoes extensive inspection and maintenance procedures.”

It added that the incidents identified in the records spanned multiple parks, attractions, years, jurisdictions and circumstances.

The company’s response highlights the difficulty of drawing conclusions from reports involving different attractions and regulatory systems. The number of reports alone does not establish that the incidents shared a common cause or that a specific safety failure occurred on Goliath.

Witness Accounts Differ on Restraint Checks

Witnesses have provided differing accounts of the restraint checks before the Georgia incident. A couple told WXIA that park employees checked their harnesses before the ride began, according to the BBC. Another guest told CNN she saw an empty seat with a loose safety bar.

These accounts have not established what happened to Kariem’s restraint or why he was ejected.

CNN said it had requested additional data from Georgia and other states but had not received responses at the time of its report.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fatal incident. Until the investigation is complete, the earlier reports of injuries, equipment failures and restraint problems remain part of the wider safety context rather than proof of a direct connection to Kariem’s death.