As investigators work to determine how a man fell to his death during a roller coaster ride Monday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities have identified the victim as a beloved educator, prompting an outpouring of grief across the Atlanta community and school system.
Cobb County Police on Tuesday identified the victim as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old man who worked at an Atlanta public charter school as its IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach.
While few details have been released, witnesses say he fell from a hypercoaster called the Goliath, a 210-second ride that reaches 70 mph and a height of 200 feet, according to the Six Flags website.
In the wake of his death, at least 10 similar rides across six parks in the US and Canada have temporarily closed as investigators work to establish what happened.
Here’s what we know:
Around 4 p.m. Monday, a man was found beneath a roller coaster, “unresponsive and not breathing,” police said in a statement.
“Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interviews indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction,” said the Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit.
Police did not disclose the name of the roller coaster, but witnesses described seeing the man fall from the Goliath, and aerial footage reviewed by CNN showed Goliath riders stopped at a steep incline before being evacuated down a high stairway.
“He fell and hit the car three different times” before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction below, a witness told CNN affiliate WXIA.
One witness told WXIA the falling man was captured on his souvenir picture taken while on the Goliath ride.
Another witness, CiCi Nelson, told CNN she was in line to ride the Goliath when a cart pulled up with an empty seat and other riders in hysterics.
She said the safety bar on the empty seat appeared loose, and another young passenger appeared to be covered in blood and injured. Emergency personnel quickly arrived, and she and others were asked to evacuate the area.
One man was “freaking out, saying someone fell off” and was urging staff to call for help, Nelson added.
Eyewitnesses at Six Flags see fatal accident
Eyewitnesses at Six Flags see fatal accident
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Police said several people were injured but did not specify how many or their conditions. CNN has reached out to authorities for more information.
“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” Six Flags Over Georgia said in a statement Monday evening. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.”
Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are investigating Kariem’s death, police said, and have requested anyone with information to contact the department.
The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which oversees safety inspections of amusement and carnival rides, has also launched an investigation.
“Our investigative team is conducting an in-depth and comprehensive review to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and to ensure full compliance with all applicable policies and procedures,” the agency said in a statement Tuesday.
A beloved teacher and inspiration to students
Kariem was a “cherished member” of Wesley International Academy, a public charter school in Atlanta, where he worked as an IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach, Atlanta Public Schools said in a statement.
Kariem’s “presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched,” the school district said.
In a separate statement shared with CNN affiliate WANF, Wesley International Academy (WIA) Executive Director Jason Marshall said the school community is “devastated by the loss of Hassan Kariem, affectionately known as Mr. Kariem, who was a beloved colleague, friend, and integral part of the Wesley family for more than 12 years.”
“Mr. Kariem was deeply loved and respected, and his absence will be felt throughout our school community,” the statement read.
Two of Kariem’s former students described him as joyful, patient and an inspiration.
“He never got mad at us … He was always patient with us. He would joke with us,” former WIA student Soledad Gomez, who had Kariem as her computer lab teacher, told WANF.
Gomez told WANF Kariem inspired her to pursue a degree in elementary education, while her brother Juan Pablo Gomez told the outlet Kariem’s class sparked his interest in information technology, a subject he’s majoring in.
CNN has reached out to WIA for comment.
At least nine rides across several Six Flags parks in the US and Canada have been temporarily closed, a park spokesperson said. A ride was also closed at a former Six Flags park in Quebec. Several of those rides are categorized as hypercoasters – like the Goliath –– rides made of steel with a height of more than 200 feet.
The Goliath in Georgia is manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, a Swiss company with a “stellar” safety record, according to Brian Avery, a professor at the University of Florida who specializes in ride safety and risk management.
Avery said the Goliath features a waist restraint but has no over-the-shoulder harness like some other roller coasters –– a secondary restraint he believes should be considered.
“If you have your primary fail, what are you left with? Yeah, nothing,” he said. “And it’s an impossible feat to stay contained if it did fail, because of the forces, the speed.”
Front seat POV of Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia
Front seat POV of Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia
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Bolliger & Mabillard issued a statement calling Monday’s deadly accident “tragic” and offering condolences to those affected.
The company said it is investigating but would have no further comment, “until we have a better understanding of what transpired.”
Every ride at its parks “undergoes extensive inspection and maintenance procedures,” according to Six Flags’ website.
Daily inspections are undertaken by park teams, while third parties, including state ride inspectors, insurance inspectors and engineering experts, also regularly evaluate the rides, it says.
Six Flags Over Georgia will open again on Friday, as scheduled, a spokesperson for the park told CNN. The Goliath will remain temporarily closed.