Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta father and educator who survived two bouts of cancer, has died after being ejected from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Kariem was a father to a 10-year-old daughter and had worked as a technology teacher before becoming an IT manager at Wesley International Academy in Georgia’s Atlanta, The Guardian reports.
Atlanta Public Schools extended its condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, describing him as a cherished member of the school community whose impact would be deeply missed by students and staff, the report said.
His family told Atlanta television station 11Alive that Kariem had overcome two bouts of cancer, the last in 2018. They also said he and his daughter escaped unharmed when their car caught fire three weeks ago.
The Cobb County Police Department said the incident occurred shortly before 4pm local time on Monday. Preliminary information from witness and employee interviews indicated that Kariem was ejected from the ride, struck other passengers and fell beneath the attraction.
The rollercoaster involved has not been officially identified. However, aerial footage showed the Goliath ride stopped midway, and witnesses identified it as the ride involved.
The department's major crimes unit is investigating the death. Georgia's insurance and fire safety commissioner, whose office enforces amusement park safety rules, is also reviewing the incident.
Authorities have not explained what caused Kariem to be ejected from the ride. The circumstances of the other injuries and the conditions of those hurt were also unclear.
Six Flags said it was deeply saddened by the incident and extended its condolences to Kariem's family, friends and loved ones.
Following the death, the company temporarily closed nine rollercoasters across six amusement parks in the United States.
The incident comes less than two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced the permanent closure of its X2 rollercoaster amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries linked to the ride.
The park had settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding it in 2022.
Last year, a 32-year-old man died after riding a high-speed rollercoaster at Universal Epic Universe in Florida. His death was ruled accidental, with blunt impact injuries listed as the cause.
Six Flags Over Georgia remained closed under its seasonal schedule and was expected to reopen on Friday, according to a local Atlanta news station.
Witnesses described confusion and distress as the incident unfolded. Nick Mendenhall told the Associated Press he saw a man come out of his seat, fall into another cart and then hit the ground.
Connor Thompson, who was waiting in line, told CBS News that people began yelling for someone to call emergency services. He said he later saw the ride car return with its restraint unlatched.
Another witness, CiCi Nelson, told CNN she saw an empty seat with a loose safety bar and a woman covered in blood when the rollercoaster returned.
Brittany Landry, who believed she saw Kariem being ejected from the rollercoaster, told Fox News she had been left in tears.
One witness told NBC affiliate WXIA that the incident was captured in souvenir photographs automatically taken while the ride was in motion. The BBC said it had been unable to verify the claim.
The Goliath rollercoaster opened in 2006 and features a 200-foot elevation, a 170-foot plunge, a 540-degree spiral and speeds of up to 70mph, according to the park's website. Six Flags rates it four out of five on its thrill scale.
The Cobb County Police Department said officers working at the park responded to the incident. Officials had not held a news conference as of Tuesday.