Who Was Hassan Jihad Kariem? Man Who Fell to His Death From Six Flags Roller Coaster Was Atlanta’s Beloved Teacher

The man who died after falling from a roller coaster at Six Flags while riding with his son was a beloved teacher from the Atlanta area. Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died on Monday after falling from the 200-foot-tall Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, according to 11Alive.

His family remembered him as a “passionate educator” from metro Atlanta who had a deep love for his city, the outlet reported. Kariem was riding with his son as his wife and daughter watched from below when he was somehow thrown from his seat, witnesses said. As he fell to his death, he struck the roller coaster cars three times.

Tragic Moment of Death

The fatal fall was captured on some official souvenir photos sold to other riders, many of whom were splattered with Kariem’s blood. Images circulating on social media showed the man falling headfirst out of the roller coaster and over other passengers, as families and young children recoiled in shock.

Emergency crews were called to the scene at around 4 p.m. local time, officials said. An investigation is underway to determine how the man fell from the ride.

Witnesses told WXIA they saw him suddenly plunge from the coaster, striking parts of the ride several times on his way down.

“The man started levitating in the air sideways,” witness Logan Conner said. “We made direct eye contact with him.”

The Goliath roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 70 mph and rises more than 200 feet. Six Flags said the ride has been temporarily closed.

Other passengers said the man’s blood “splattered over everybody” when he collided with the high-speed coaster.

One passenger told 11Alive that Kariem struck a girl seated two rows ahead of them near the point where Goliath riders are photographed.

“He hit a girl two rows in front of us on the Goliath ride right where the pictures are taken,” one woman told 11Alive.

Scene of Horror

Unverified images circulating online reportedly captured the fatal incident on the roller coaster’s onboard camera. The witness said Kariem struck parts of the ride at least three times before falling behind one of the haunted attractions set up for Halloween at the Six Flags resort.

Another passenger recalled that Kariem fell as the coaster was climbing, prompting a scream from someone on the ride.

“We looked down, and we see people running and panicking,” he said.

The rider said their coaster came to a stop while ascending, leaving passengers unsure whether the halt was connected to the incident. They learned what had happened later, after news of the death emerged.

Another witness described the repeated collisions that preceded Kariem’s fall. “The ride hit him, and then he flew back up again, and it hit him again, and then that’s when he was, I guess, flung from the ride.”

“It went from having a great time to just screaming, ‘Oh my God, what is happening,'” he added.

“You don’t see things like this happen. It should never happen.”

Built by Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard, Goliath debuted at Six Flags Over Georgia in 2006. Its 200-foot peak makes it the tallest roller coaster in the state.

The ride lasts about three and a half minutes, with passengers having to “navigate through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills,” according to the park’s website.

The incident comes just a month after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California revealed plans to tear down its controversial X2 roller coaster following multiple lawsuits alleging that the ride had seriously injured passengers.