A birthday celebration at Six Flags Over Georgia ended in tragedy Monday when Hassan Kariem, a father and teacher, was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster and fell to his death. He was at the park with his wife, his daughter and his niece, and he sat next to his daughter on the ride. According to his brother-in-law, Joshua Nelson, Kariem’s last words were, “This is my favorite ride, I’m so excited to be here.” Nelson’s daughter, who was on the coaster, said she saw him lift from his seat before the restraint came undone.
The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner says the Goliath was last inspected in March and showed no warning signs at that time. The family is still waiting on the results of the investigation. Six Flags Over Georgia reopens Friday, but the Goliath will remain closed until further notice.
For those of us here on the Suncoast, theme parks are part of life. Whether it’s a weekend at Busch Gardens, a spring training road trip, or a summer run up to Orlando, we put our families on these rides and trust the restraints to do their job. Stories like this one hit close to home because that trust is everything. Have you ever felt uneasy about a restraint on a ride? Tell us your experience in the comments.
