“HE SURVIVED CANCER AND A TERRIFYING CAR FIRE — THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK” — FATHER OF TWO DIES AFTER FALLING FROM SIX FLAGS ROLLER COASTER

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was remembered as a cherished educator and devoted father after a fatal incident on the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Now, investigators are working to establish exactly what happened.

A family outing at an amusement park ended in tragedy when a 42-year-old father fell from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, of Atlanta, was riding the towering Goliath attraction on October 12, 2026, when he was ejected from the ride, according to preliminary information released by police. He struck other riders before falling beneath the attraction. Emergency responders found him unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead. Several other people were injured.

The incident has left his family, colleagues and the wider community mourning a man remembered for his work in education and the challenges he had overcome throughout his life.

A FATHER WHO HAD ALREADY OVERCOME SO MUCH

Hassan’s family told local media that he had survived two bouts of cancer. They also revealed that, just weeks before the roller-coaster incident, he and his daughter had survived a car fire without being injured.

Those experiences make the sudden loss particularly heartbreaking for the people who knew him.

Hassan was a father and an educator who worked at Wesley International Academy before becoming an IT manager with Atlanta Public Schools.

The school community paid tribute to him as a cherished member whose presence and impact would be deeply missed.

QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE RIDE

The Goliath roller coaster is known for its towering 200-foot first drop and speeds reaching approximately 70 miles per hour.

Following the incident, investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding Hassan’s fall. Witness accounts reported unusual clicking sounds from the restraints before the ride began, but officials have not established that a restraint malfunction caused the tragedy.

Six Flags said it was cooperating fully with authorities.

As a precaution, the company temporarily closed nine similar roller coasters across North America while the investigation continued.

A COMMUNITY IN MOURNING

The tragedy has also affected other riders and park employees who witnessed the incident. Authorities are continuing to investigate, and the cause of the fall has not yet been definitively established.

For Hassan’s loved ones, however, the immediate reality is a devastating personal loss.

He was more than the person at the centre of a frightening news story. He was a father, a colleague and someone whose life included years of perseverance through serious challenges.

THE SEARCH FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES

Cobb County Police and Georgia state safety officials are investigating the incident. Until their findings are released, questions about the ride’s restraints and the circumstances of the fall remain unresolved.

As his family grieves, colleagues and community members are remembering Hassan for the life he lived and the people he touched.

A family has lost a father, and a school community has lost a valued colleague. Now, investigators must determine how this tragedy happened.