“HE SAID IT WAS HIS FAVOURITE RIDE…” — HAUNTING NEW DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT HASSAN KARIEM’S FINAL MOMENTS AT SIX FLAGS
“HE SAID IT WAS HIS FAVOURITE RIDE…” — HAUNTING NEW DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT HASSAN KARIEM’S FINAL MOMENTS AT SIX FLAGS
What was meant to be a joyful birthday celebration ended in tragedy when 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem fell from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Now, a relative has shared the heartbreaking account reportedly given by the 13-year-old girl riding beside him.
A family outing to celebrate a birthday has become an unimaginable source of grief after Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died in a roller coaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta.
The 42-year-old was riding the Goliath attraction on October 12, 2026, alongside his 13-year-old niece when he was ejected from the ride and fell beneath the track.
According to his niece’s father, Joshua Nelson, the teenager was left terrified and confused after witnessing what happened. She reportedly called her father in tears, struggling to understand where her uncle had gone.
What should have been a special day filled with laughter and birthday memories instead became a moment the family will never forget.
“HE FAINTED, OR HE PASSED OUT”
In an interview with WSB-TV, Nelson shared what his daughter reportedly told him after getting off the ride.
He said she described Hassan losing consciousness before his restraint allegedly came loose as the coaster moved along its track.
According to Nelson, his daughter said: “He fainted, or he passed out.”
She reportedly told him that the restraint snapped or came loose before Hassan fell from the ride.
These details come from a family member recounting the teenager’s account. Investigators have not confirmed whether Hassan lost consciousness or what caused him to be ejected from the coaster.
Authorities have confirmed that Hassan was thrown from the attraction and struck other riders before falling beneath it. Four children were also injured and taken to hospital with injuries police described as non-life-threatening.
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION THAT ENDED IN HEARTBREAK
Hassan had gone to the amusement park with family members for the girl’s 13th birthday.
According to Atlanta News First, Nelson said Hassan had expressed his excitement about the attraction before the ride began.
“His last words were to my daughter and they were, ‘This is my favorite ride, I’m so excited to be here,’” Nelson recalled.
Those words have taken on a painful significance for the family. A moment of anticipation and excitement was followed by a tragedy no one could have expected.
Nelson said his daughter called him crying after the ride ended. She reportedly told him she did not know where Hassan had gone.
The teenager survived the incident physically unharmed, but she had witnessed a deeply distressing event involving someone close to her.
FOUR CHILDREN WERE ALSO INJURED
Cobb County police said preliminary information gathered from witnesses and employees indicated that Hassan was ejected from the ride, struck other patrons and fell beneath the attraction.
Responding officers found him unresponsive and not breathing. He was pronounced dead following the incident.
Four children sustained injuries and were transported to hospital. Authorities said their injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The Goliath coaster, which reaches heights of approximately 200 feet and speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, has remained closed while the investigation continues.
Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire is also examining the incident. Officials have said the ride’s most recent inspection, conducted in March 2026, recorded no violations or deficiencies.
That inspection history does not establish what happened during the October incident. Investigators must still determine how Hassan was ejected from the ride and whether any equipment or other factors contributed.
A FAMILY ASKS PEOPLE TO STOP SHARING DISTRESSING IMAGES
As news of the tragedy spread online, relatives also appealed to the public to stop circulating disturbing images connected to the incident.
They have described the sharing of such material as deeply insensitive while the family is grieving.
For those closest to Hassan, the priority is remembering him as a person rather than allowing the circumstances of his death to define his life.
Hassan worked as an IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach at Wesley International Academy in Atlanta. The school community has remembered him as a valued colleague whose work made a lasting impression on students and staff.
His death has prompted an outpouring of condolences from people who knew him through his work and from members of the wider community.
THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The accounts shared by Hassan’s relatives have brought new attention to the final moments of the ride, but important questions remain unanswered.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the fall, including the condition and operation of the ride’s restraint system. The family’s account of what the teenager witnessed has not yet been independently confirmed.
Until the investigation establishes what happened, the precise cause of the incident remains unknown.
For the family, however, the loss is already devastating. A day planned around a child’s birthday has become a painful memory, and a young girl is left coping with the experience of witnessing her uncle’s death.
Hassan’s family is now asking for privacy and compassion as they grieve. Behind the headlines is a family whose birthday celebration turned into a tragedy — and a young girl who will need time and support to process what she witnessed.
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