Police and Georgia regulators are investigating the fatal fall of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem from Six Flags Over Georgia’s Goliath coaster. The safety response has expanded to 12 temporarily halted roller coasters, including rides at SeaWorld Orlando and Montreal’s La Ronde. Ten closed coasters share a manufacturer and a similar restraint system with the Georgia ride, which has no backup restraints. Witnesses and riders have described concerns about how restraints felt or operated, but investigators have not established the cause of the fall. The park is set to reopen, while Goliath is not expected to run; the investigation and park safety reviews continue, with timelines and any required changes not yet reported.
TLDR: A Georgia fatality investigation has led parks to temporarily halt 12 coasters, including rides with a shared manufacturer and similar restraints. Police, state regulators, and park reviews have not yet established the cause or announced deadlines or required changes.
A fatal fall from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia has prompted a widening safety review, with 12 roller coasters now temporarily out of service at amusement parks. Police and a Georgia state regulatory agency are investigating what caused Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta school employee, to fall from his seat on Monday. The park is set to reopen, but Goliath is not expected to be operating.
The stated reason for the investigation and closures is to determine what caused the fatal fall and review safety concerns involving rides made by the same manufacturer. The available account does not describe a new government rule or a formal closure order. It reports that parks have temporarily halted rides while police and regulators investigate, and that one park is conducting a review with the manufacturer.
The scale of the response has grown beyond Georgia. SeaWorld Orlando and Montreal’s La Ronde confirmed Thursday that they had temporarily closed rides, bringing the total number of halted coasters to 12. Ten of the closed rides share a manufacturer and a similar restraint system with Georgia’s Goliath. The shutdowns show how an investigation at one park can prompt safety checks at other properties with comparable equipment.
La Ronde said its Goliath coaster was offline while the park conducted a thorough safety review in collaboration with the ride’s manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard. SeaWorld Orlando and La Ronde did not say why those particular rides were closed. The Swiss manufacturer built the Georgia Goliath, the two parks’ rides, and eight additional coasters closed by Six Flags. The company declined to answer questions about the shutdowns on Thursday.
Questions about the restraints are part of the inquiry’s context, but the cause of the fall has not been established in the account. Witnesses described seeing Kariem ejected from the coaster. Some riders who used Goliath before him raised concerns about the restraints. Erica Billups said her two children rode about an hour before the fatal incident and encountered a seat restraint that repeatedly came unlocked. Her son moved to another seat, she said, and the ride departed with that seat empty and its harness raised. She said staff did not tell her children there was a problem.
Summer Bates, who witnessed the fall, previously told The Associated Press that her older two children tried to push their restraints down tighter during the ride. Bates said the restraints did not feel secure when she rode the coaster herself. Six Flags did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on possible restraint issues. These accounts describe riders’ experiences, not a determination by investigators about what happened or why.
Online images of 10 closed coasters show clamshell restraints: padded bars mounted in front of seats and positioned over riders’ laps and upper legs. The images do not make clear whether any of those 10 coasters also have seat belts or other backup restraints. The Georgia Goliath has no such backup restraints. That distinction matters to the review, but the available information does not establish whether adding another restraint will be required or whether the existing system caused the fatal fall.
Brian D. Avery, a University of Florida professor and amusement-ride safety expert, said manufacturers choose restraints after considering a ride’s speed, force, and track transitions. Avery advocates backup restraints. He also said the industry has a long-running debate over whether backup systems would increase wait times. That tradeoff places operating convenience alongside safety questions, while the investigation continues to establish the facts of this incident.
The immediate practical impact is clear: 12 coasters are temporarily halted, including rides in Georgia, Florida, and Montreal. The Georgia park has about a dozen roller coasters and is set to reopen, while its Goliath is not expected to run. No fees, new forms, compliance deadlines, or announced enforcement requirements appear in the available account. The closure period for the affected rides, the findings regulators will require, and any changes to restraint systems remain unknown.
The next steps are the police and state regulatory investigation and the safety reviews at affected parks. La Ronde has specifically described a review conducted with the manufacturer, while the manufacturer has declined comment pending a better understanding of what occurred. These reviews and the investigation are necessary steps for determining what happened and whether further action is warranted. No outcome or assurance from investigators has yet been reported.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
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