ATLANTA (AP) — Witnesses watched in horror as a man riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was ejected from his seat, almost seeming to hover above the car before hitting several people and falling to his death.
The nightmarish death prompted Six Flags to temporarily close nine similar coasters across North America.
Police and a state agency that oversees ride inspections are investigating, but many questions remained Tuesday, including how the man fell out and whether there were problems with his restraints.
The man, a school employee from Atlanta, was killed Monday while riding Goliath, the park’s tallest roller coaster with a first hill of 200 feet (61 meters).
“It looked like he was hovering because the car was moving underneath him,” said Nick Mendenhall, who had just ridden Goliath with his son and was watching the coaster cars passing overhead.
The man fell headfirst back into the coaster, Mendenhall said, then was ejected from the ride on its final turn.
“It felt like slow-motion, but it happened in an instant,” Mendenhall said. “I was just praying in those moments. I was praying: ‘God, please let him stay in that car.’”
Goliath towers above the entrance at Six Flags Over Georgia just outside Atlanta with a series of hills and turns. It doesn’t take riders upside down. There are no seat belts. Instead, riders are restrained with lap bars that pull down over their legs and waist.
In a theme park industry that it is constantly introducing new thrills, it’s far from the world’s tallest, fastest or wildest coaster.
Emilie Megnien via AP Photo/Emilie Megnien
One Family Watched As The Man Flew Out Of The Roller Coaster
The man who died was 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, according to Cobb County police. Investigators and park employees told investigators that he was thrown from the coaster before striking other patrons.
Officials have not released any other information about the people who were hurt.
Kariem worked as the information technology manager at a public charter school and before that was a technology teacher.
In a statement, the Wesley International Academy said it was devastated, saying Kariem’s “dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did.”
Summer Bates, who was at the park with her husband and three children, saw Kariem fall. “One thing I think that will stick with us is the sound of his body coming down,” she said.
Bates said she and her family rode Goliath earlier in the day.
“My older two children rode on the cart ahead of us,” she said. “I noticed they kept trying to push theirs down tighter. I assured them that they were OK. But once my husband, youngest child and I loaded our cart and headed up the incline, I quickly understood why my older two were messing with theirs. It just didn’t feel secure and tight.”
Amusement Ride Oversight Varies By State
In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government. That responsibility falls to states.
Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections, is “conducting an in‑depth and comprehensive review,” of what happened, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.
In California, the state approves new rides and ones that have been modified and either directly inspects them or relies on an annual inspection by the owner. Florida’s largest theme parks are exempt from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs. Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly introduced legislation to change the federal law that allows U.S. safety officials to regulate mobile rides but exempts major amusement parks.
Opponents of federal oversight say serious injuries and fatalities on amusement park rides are rare and often the result of riders not following rules.
Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group, said the industry has multiple layers of inspection.
Six Flags Closes Roller Coasters Elsewhere
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. temporarily shut down roller coasters at six of its theme parks in the U.S. and Canada. The parks were already scheduled for seasonal midweek closures on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Those rides include a second coaster named Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California; Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina; and the rides Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Canada.
The company did not say why those specific rides were shut down or what would be done before they reopen.
Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss company that manufactured the coaster and many others worldwide, said it is actively investigating and won’t comment “until we have a better understanding of what happened.”
“Our thoughts are with the family and those affected,” it said.
Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia; McCormack from Concord, New Hampshire; and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; Michael Biesecker in Pittsburgh; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.