Man who fell off rollercoaster identified as Atlanta school teacher

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The man who fell to his death while riding a rollercoaster at a Georgia theme park has been identified as a school teacher from the Atlanta area.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died after falling 60 metres off the enormous Goliath rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park on Monday, 11Alive local news reports . His family called him a "passionate educator" who loved his city of Atlanta, the outlet said.

According to WSB-TV News in Atlanta, Kariem recovered from cancer, and he and his daughter survived a car fire weeks before his death.

Kariem was on the ride with his son while his wife and daughter watched from the ground when he was thrown out of his seat and struck the coaster train three times before finally plummeting to his death, witnesses said.

The fall was disturbingly captured on an on-ride souvenir photo as Kariem tumbled over horrified, blood-covered guests on the ride.

"He was in our pictures," a witness told 11Alive. "He fell and hit the car three different times."

Another man and woman on the ride saw Kariem's fall firsthand and up close.

"We were having a great time and to just screaming, 'Oh my God, what is happening?'" the woman said.

The accident left another train of riders behind the affected coaster stuck on Goliath's steep 60-metre lift hill incline. The park was evacuated and workers carefully rescued riders off of the coaster and down the steep, open-air stairwell leading down to the ground.

Six Flags, which also owns and operates Canada's Wonderland, issued a statement shortly after the accident.

"We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest's family, friends, and loved ones. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected.

"The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation. Out of respect for the family's privacy, we will not be sharing additional details at this time."

Following the deadly accident in Georgia, Canada's Wonderland closed its two biggest rollercoasters, Behemoth and Leviathan, "out of an abundance of caution." Similar rides across Six Flags parks have also closed.

"The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities," Six Flags added in a statement to the Sun .

Goliath was manufactured by Bollinger and Mabillard and is classified as a "hypercoaster" — a roller coaster that stands between 60 and 91 metres tall and reaches speeds of up to 112 km/h. Wonderland's Behemoth is slightly larger and faster, at 70 metres tall with a top speed of 123 km/h.

Wonderland's Leviathan tops them both. Classified as a Bollinger and Mabillard gigacoaster (a rollercoaster that reaches 91 metres or taller), it stands at 93 metres, making it Canada's tallest rollercoaster and one of the top 10 tallest rollercoasters in the world, with a top speed of 148 km/h.

Statistically, rollercoasters are very safe, but that doesn't mean accidents don't happen, and they can be deadly.

X2 (2026) – The world's first "fourth-dimensional" roller coaster ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California was linked to two deaths and a number of other serious injuries, particularly brain hemorrhages, according to CNN . Further investigation revealed at least 70 more injury complaints linked to the ride, many of them brain injuries.

The Smiler (2015) – One of the worst rollercoaster accidents in British history, a coaster train carrying 16 people on this ride at Alton Towers theme park in England slammed into a vacant, stalled test train at high speed. Passengers were trapped 7.6 metres in the air for more than four hours before emergency crews rescued them. All 16 passengers were injured, five seriously . Two young women suffered severe leg injuries and required leg amputations above the knee. Another rider suffered shattered kneecaps, severe lacerations and broken bones.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (2003) – Marcelo Torres, 22. died on this ride at Disneyland in California. He was riding in the front car when the locomotive separated from the rest of the cars and derailed. Torres bled to death after suffering blunt force trauma to the chest. He died at the scene and 10 other people were injured.

Mindbender (1986) – This rollercoaster at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton derailed after cap screws holding the wheel assembly on a car failed. The rear car flew off the tracks at 100 km/h and struck a pillar, throwing four riders to the concrete floor below. David Sager, 24, Tony Andrusiak, 24, and his fiancée Cindy Sims, 21, were all killed. Rod Chayko survived, but has sustained injuries he'll deal with for the rest of his life.