Georgia Opens Safety Probe Into Fatal Fall From Six Flags Roller Coaster

Ten days after a man died falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, state investigators and outside engineers say the inquiry is narrowing on the ride's restraint system and on a maintenance note written seven months before the fall.

Hassan Kariem, 42, an Atlanta-area educator, was found beneath the coaster in Austell shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, after witnesses told Cobb County police he had come loose from his seat during the ride. His niece, who was seated beside him, has told relatives that he appeared to lose consciousness before his restraint gave way, though investigators have not confirmed that account. Four children aboard the same train were hospitalized with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Kariem's brother-in-law, Joshua Nelson, told reporters he still suspects "it was a freak accident," even as regulators keep the ride closed.

What investigators are examining

Georgia's Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner opened a parallel civil investigation within days of the fall, separate from the Cobb County Police Department's criminal inquiry. Commissioner John F. King has said his engineers and inspectors have been on site almost continuously since the accident, reviewing the ride's permitting, maintenance and incident-report history.

"This is not an investigation in which we will cut corners, rush to conclusions, or leave questions unanswered."

That inspection history already contains one detail drawing scrutiny: Goliath passed its most recent state inspection on March 16 with no violations, deficiencies or citations recorded, but the inspector's notes flagged that staff needed to replace bushings on the ride's bogie assemblies — the wheel carriages that guide each car along the track, not the lap-bar restraints themselves. A person familiar with the park's maintenance records said those bushings were in fact replaced as recommended, but engineers consulted by CBS News said the note still raises questions about whether the park kept pace with the manufacturer's full maintenance schedule. Troy Richardson, a forensic engineer who consults on amusement-ride litigation, said even a slightly worn bushing "could be a major problem" if replacement intervals were not followed closely. Kathryn Woodcock, a Toronto Metropolitan University professor who edits a peer-reviewed journal on themed attractions, said investigators will be asking a more basic question: what, exactly, failed or came loose.

Goliath has carried riders since 2006, climbing 200 feet and reaching speeds near 70 mph on a layout designed by the Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Its 36 seats use padded clamshell lap-bar restraints rather than full shoulder harnesses, a design common on hypercoasters of its era. Published inspection records show about 20 minor violations between 2016 and 2021, all resolved quickly, and none logged since. Two earlier deaths have been linked to Goliath-brand coasters, in 2002 and 2006, both attributed at the time to underlying medical conditions rather than mechanical failure.

A company-wide precaution

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which operates nearly three dozen parks across North America, temporarily closed nine roller coasters at six parks after the Georgia fall as a precaution while it reviewed comparable rides, even though no defect had been identified in any of them. Richard Pretlow, president of Six Flags Over Georgia, told guests in a posted statement that the park would reopen on schedule the following Friday with Goliath alone remaining closed, and that daily, weekly, monthly and annual inspections, along with staff training, "remains our highest priority." A company spokesperson added that "our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones affected by the tragic incident."

The park also quietly shortened the title of its Fright Fest stage show from "Dr. Fright's Dead Man's Party" to "Dr. Fright's Party," a change it confirmed to a reporter was made out of sensitivity to the Kariem family, though the longer title still appeared in some printed guides days later.

Former ride operators have separately raised questions about staffing and training on Goliath specifically. Two employees who worked the ride told CBS News that because it is the park's signature attraction, operators sometimes felt rushed between trains, and that new hires could be certified to run rides after roughly an hour of hands-on instruction. Six Flags has said its training programs meet or exceed manufacturer and industry standards.

A patchwork of oversight

Unlike mobile carnival and fair rides, which fall under narrow federal product-safety rules, fixed-site attractions such as Goliath are regulated almost entirely by individual states. In Georgia, that authority sits with the Safety Fire Division of the insurance commissioner's office, which licenses and inspects permanent rides alongside traveling shows. Standards, inspection frequency and enforcement power vary widely from state to state, a patchwork that litigation over a similar fatality at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California has previously tested. A wrongful-death suit over a 2022 death on that park's X2 coaster ended in a settlement, and Six Flags permanently closed that ride in September; an attorney for that family said he saw training and maintenance concerns similar to what has since surfaced in Georgia.

For now, Georgia regulators say they have reached no conclusion about what happened on Goliath. Commissioner King has said his office will complete its review of the ride's records and mechanical condition before deciding when, or whether, the attraction can reopen, and that findings will be made public once the investigation is finished. Cobb County police have likewise not said whether they expect criminal charges. Six Flags, which drew more than 47 million guests across its parks last year, according to its securities filings, has not set a reopening date for the ride, and engineers who spoke with CBS News cautioned that a credible answer could still be weeks away. A report on the park's reopening noted that the rest of Six Flags Over Georgia, including the renamed stage show, has continued operating normally since October 16.