Two-time cancer survivor Hassan Kariem cheated death twice before being thrown from Six Flags roller coaster
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, had beaten lymphoma twice and survived a fiery car crash with his stepdaughter just three weeks before Monday's fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia. The Atlanta teacher was riding the 200ft Goliath hypercoaster with his son when he was ejected from his seat at 70mph, striking the ride three times before being found unresponsive behind a Halloween attraction. His family says he had grown up visiting the park every summer and returned to continue the tradition.
Goliath had been taken out of service for maintenance only hours before Kariem's death; witnesses reported seeing a single staff member board the ride as part of a test run before it reopened.
Four children were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries after Kariem struck them as he fell — police have released no further details because all four are juveniles.
His family has urged the public to take down and stop circulating viral images of his final moments, captured by a fellow visitor at the precise instant the ride's souvenir camera snapped.
