Man who died in Six Flags rollercoaster fall in Georgia was a father and educator

Police on Tuesday identified the victim of the fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem of Atlanta.

Kariem fell to his death after being ejected from his seat and several others were injured in an incident involving a rollercoaster at the theme park.

Although authorities and Six Flags did not identify the rollercoaster, video footage shows passengers being evacuated from the park’s Goliath coaster.

Kariem was a father to a 10-year-old daughter and an educator in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Atlanta public schools, Kariem started his career at Wesley International Academy as a technology teacher before being promoted to an IT Manager.

“Atlanta Public Schools extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr Kariem,” a spokesperson for APS shared in a statement obtained by the Guardian.

“He was a cherished member of the Wesley International Academy and APS families whose presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched,” the statement added.

Wesley International Academy did not immediately return the Guardian’s request for comment.

Kariem’s family spoke with 11Alive’s Chase Houle, and shared that he overcame many challenges in life, including two bouts of cancer. The last stint was in 2018.

Additionally, his family said Kariem and his daughter survived a car fire three weeks ago. The two were unharmed in the incident.

Cobb county police department’s major crimes unit has launched an investigation into Kariem’s death.

It was unknown what led to the fatal accident, nor how the others were injured or their conditions.

Since Kariem’s death, Six Flags temporarily closed nine rollercoasters across six amusement parks around the US.

The incident comes less than two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in southern California announced the permanent closure of its famous X2 rollercoaster amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries caused by the ride.

The park had settled one wrongful death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the coaster in 2022.

Last year, a 32-year-old man died after riding a high-speed rollercoaster at the Universal Epic Universe theme park in Florida. He died from blunt impact injuries and his death was ruled accidental.

According to a local Atlanta news station, Six Flags Over Georgia remains closed because of the offseason schedule and was expected to reopen on Friday.