A popular teacher who fell to his death from a Six Flags rollercoaster was on the ride with a young relative to celebrate her birthday.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died in the harrowing incident at the Georgia amusement park on Monday.
His fall to death was witnessed by other ridegoers and his wife and stepdaughter as the technology teacher was flung out of the Goliath ride before slamming onto the train several times.
Witnesses claim Hassan ‘locked eyes’ with them as he fell from the ‘super’ coaster, which can reach speeds of 70mph.
It has now emerged that the Atlanta teacher was sitting next to his 13-year-old niece during a Six Flags trip to celebrate her birthday.
She is said to have witnessed the fall, which was also reportedly captured by the souvenir cameras.
The niece called her dad, Joshua Nelson, in panic after the tragedy.
He claimed his brother-in-law Hassan lost consciousness before his latch ‘snapped’ loose.
Joshua told local WSBTV: ‘They went up and down, up and down, up and down.
‘It went up again, his latch snapped or came loose, and he fell. She told me he fell off the rollercoaster.’
The 42-year-old’s body was discovered motionless near a Halloween-decorated 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.’
Hassan’s loved ones and the school he taught IT at are reeling after his unnatural death.
Just three weeks before his death, Hassan and his 10-year-old stepdaughter were involved in a car crash which totalled the vehicle beyond repair.
He had also cheated death after surviving two bouts of lymphoma, most recently in 2018, and had been hospitalised with Covid-19 during the pandemic, according to his family.
Six Flags Over Georgia president comments on rollercoaster death
Six Flags Over Georgia president, Richard Pretlow, issued a fresh statement early on Friday after the company had initially been tight-lipped about the incident.
He confirmed that the attraction will open as scheduled today (Friday), but didn’t name the ride involved.
He wrote: ‘We are deeply saddened by the recent incident at the park. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with the individual involved, their family, friends and loved ones. We also continue to keep the guests and team members affected by this tragic event in our thoughts.
‘Six Flags Over Georgia will open as scheduled on Friday, October 16. As efforts to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident continue, we remain focused on supporting those affected and maintaining the safe operation of our park and attractions. All other rides and attractions that were scheduled to operate will be available to guests, subject to normal operating conditions and availability.
‘The safety of our guests and team members remains our highest priority. We maintain rigorous inspection, maintenance and operational procedures that meet or exceed industry standards. Our attractions undergo daily, weekly, monthly and annual inspections, and our team members receive extensive training to safely operate and maintain our rides.
‘Each year, millions of guests safely enjoy the rides and attractions at Six Flags parks. While serious incidents of this nature are exceedingly rare, we never take responsibility to our guests for granted and remain committed to continuous learning and improvement.
‘We appreciate the patience, understanding and support of our guests, season passholders and community during this difficult time. We remain committed to providing safe, fun and memorable experiences for everyone who visits our park.’
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