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The teacher who fell to his death on a Six Flags rollercoaster had survived cancer and a car crash shortly before the tragedy.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died in the traumatic incident at the Georgia attraction on Monday, which struck on the park’s Goliath ride, leaving others injured as well.
Kariem’s wife reportedly watched from the ground as her husband fell from the ‘super’ rollercoaster, which can reach speeds of up to 70mph, with eyewitnesses describing the chilling moment they locked eyes with him.
The community is reeling from the sudden loss of Kariem, a stepdad and technology teacher at Wesley International Academy, who had recently walked away alive from a car crash.
He was also a two-time lymphoma survivor, most recently in 2018, and was ill in hospital with Covid-19, his family revealed to Atlanta broadcaster WSB-TV.
Three weeks before his death at Six Flags Over Georgia, Kariem and his 10-year-old stepdaughter were involved in the crash, which damaged the car beyond repair, but the pair were unhurt, according to 11 Alive.
His cousin, Geo Ashe, said he was a regular visitor to Six Flags since childhood, going to the attraction twice during summers along with their grandmother.
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Geo said his cousin didn’t have biological children, but he loved being a parent.
He told Fox 5: ‘He loved doing that, he loved kids.
‘And he doesn’t have any biological kids, but his stepdaughter is his daughter. She’s been with him since she was two, three years old.’
He continued: ‘He was the sunshine of our family.
‘Our whole family is devastated by this because it just happened out the blue. It happened how it happened, and you would never expect anything like that.’
His family released a statement after the shocking death, describing the 42-year-old as ‘exceptionally intelligent, thoughtful and kind.’
They urged people to refrain from posting or circulating sensitive footage online following reports that his final moments were captured on the souvenir cameras on the ride.
Eyewitnesses said he hit the ride three times during his fall, and he was reportedly found unresponsive on the ground near a Halloween attraction.
Cobb County Police Department said initial investigation suggests that he was ‘ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction.’
Six Flags has not released further details about the incident following its earlier statement, in which the operator said it was ‘deeply saddened by the guest incident’ and ‘our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.’
Kariem’s social media remains filled with images of food and his engraving hobby, showing the coasters and decorations he made, along with a flood of tribute messages from hundreds of people.
His long-time friend described Kariem as a ‘beloved father and husband’ and a ‘stand up guy always real and honest.’
‘We had many stories and I totally lost count brother. Thank you for entertaining and entering my life for 20 years,’ he said.
A family member said: ‘Cousin I am going to miss reading your daily posts.’
The IT teacher’s employer also paid tribute to him: ‘Atlanta Public Schools extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr. Kariem. He was a cherished member of the Wesly International Academy and APS families whose presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched.’
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