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yesterday

State Engineers Probe Goliath as Six Flags Grounds Coasters After Fatal Ejection

A state technical review of ride hardware, sensors and maintenance logs follows the Oct. 12 death, and a separate bracket fall at Cedar Point has intensified questions about inspection and upkeep practices.

In this aerial view, the train of the Goliath roller coaster is seen on the track where it was evacuated at Six Flags over Georgia on October 14 in Austell, Georgia.
Riders aboard the rollercoaster Boomerang at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California on September 2, 2023. Two Bay Area Six Flags parks are emphasizing ride safety after a man died and four children were injured in a roller coaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia. 
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Overview

  • A 42-year-old man, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster and died from his injuries after the Oct. 12 ride, and four children on the same train were treated for non‑life‑threatening injuries.
  • Georgia’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire is leading an on‑site technical investigation with state engineers examining Goliath’s mechanical hardware, computerized sensors and maintenance records while Cobb County police assist.
  • Six Flags secured and kept Goliath out of service and temporarily closed at least nine similar coasters at other parks 'out of an abundance of caution,' even as Six Flags Over Georgia reopened for Fright Fest with some other rides reported closed.
  • Cedar Point’s Millennium Force was taken out of service after a small metal bracket dislodged from a train and landed in a guest area; no injuries were reported and the coaster will remain closed pending an internal review and state inspection.
  • The incidents have renewed scrutiny of maintenance and oversight across the company because Goliath had passed a March 16 state inspection with no violations, family eyewitness accounts remain unconfirmed, and regulators and safety advocates say findings could affect reopenings, inspections and potential legal action.