Twelve roller coasters shut across North America as witnesses say Goliath restraints failed before dad's fatal fall
Hassan Kariem with his wife, whose family described his death as a "terrible shock" and said they "just want to know what happened.Footage of the man falling from the Goliath roller coaster, which would rank as at least the seventh fatality on record at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Hassan Kariem, 42, was celebrating his fiancée's niece's 13th birthday at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday when he was ejected from the 200ft Goliath hypercoaster, striking the ride's metal frame three times before hitting the ground. Four children riding below were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. A witness whose son rode Goliath an hour earlier says his restraint repeatedly unlocked — and staff said nothing.
The Goliath had been closed for maintenance hours before Kariem's death, with witnesses watching a lone staffer ride the front row alone to test it.
Twelve coasters sharing the same manufacturer and restraint system are now shut across North America, including rides at SeaWorld Orlando and Montreal's La Ronde.
US theme parks are exempt from federal safety regulation entirely, leaving oversight to states — and Georgia's courts have ruled parks owe guests only 'ordinary care', making liability hard to prove.
