Six Flags Over Georgia: Goliath coaster stays closed as park reopens

MABELTON, Ga. - Six Flags Over Georgia wrapped up its first night of Fright Fest after reopening Friday evening, operating with noticeably lighter crowds while the Goliath roller coaster stayed shut down following a man's fatal fall.

Six Flags park reopening

What we know:

Six Flags Over Georgia opened its gates at 6 p.m. Friday for its annual Fright Fest celebration before concluding operations for the night. 

Visitors and employees observed that crowds appeared smaller than usual across the property. Guests attending the seasonal event noted they could not stop thinking about 42-year-old Hassan Kariem and expressed deep sympathy for the victims. 

Amusement rides throughout the grounds resumed regular activity during the evening hours. However, the Goliath hypercoaster remained completely shut down behind security barriers. 

Cobb County tragedy investigation

What they're saying:

Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and police leaders addressed the community at 2 p.m. Friday in the Board of Commissioners conference room in Marietta. Cupid described the tragedy as unimaginable and emphasized that the county's primary priority rests with those grieving. 

"First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Hassan Kareem, who just at 42 years old, according to reports, was an educator, an IT professional, someone who was beloved by his family and his students, and who was known to his community to be dedicated to his students as well," Cupid said. "My heart aches for him and his family who are going through this very terrible time." 

"I also want to recognize, again, the pain of the people who were present, the guests who saw what happened in the Six Flags employees who were present in the worst moment of their working lives, and also to the members of our public safety who first responded to that tragedy," Cupid added. "And our entire community is still carrying the weight of this matter." 

Cupid also spoke about the emotional and economic footprint of the park across the region. "Right now, though, our attention belongs to the people who were hurt and to the family that is still reeling by this very tragic incident that took place," she said. 

When asked about the park reopening, Cupid urged caution and awareness among guests. "Yes we understand that they're reopening and that has been coordinated with the state we also know that there are a lot of questions still around what's taking place and just ask that people be sensitive to the information that's been put out by the park and also by the state and to use their their wisdom with respect to how they return to the park," Cupid said. 

Cobb County Police Deputy Chief Ballard, joined by Capt. Dan's, outlined law enforcement's specific operational limits. "So our role in this investigation, we investigate all deaths in unincorporated Cobb County," Ballard said. 

"However, we're only assisting the state in this investigation," Ballard said. "The state is the lead investigators in this case, because we don't have the authority to inspect or investigate machinery at theme parks." 

"We do document our involvement in this case," Ballard added. "And if there are no criminal charges, we will close our case as soon as the state completes theirs." 

"And that's basically our involvement, in this, case. Thank you," Ballard said. 

Deadly roller coaster ejection

The backstory:

The tragedy occurred just before 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, when Kariem was thrown from the Goliath hypercoaster train. Emergency personnel rushed to the scene, but the 42-year-old educator died from his injuries. 

Four children riding the train suffered non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment at area hospitals. Kariem's partner's niece, who sat directly beside him on the ride, was not physically hurt. 

Loved ones remembered the Atlanta resident as the "sunshine of our family" and a "gentle giant" who loved cooking big pans of lasagna for family get-togethers. Kariem worked as an educator and information technology specialist at Wesley International Academy in Atlanta, survived lymphoma twice, and raised his partner's daughter as his own since she was 2 years old. 

"Our whole family is devastated by this because it just happened out of the blue," his cousin Geo Ashe said. "You would never expect anything like that." 

His cousin Marcus Ashe noted that Kariem was a man who "deserves the world," urging the public to remember his kindness rather than the shock of his death. The family pleaded with social media users to stop sharing footage of his final moments and warned against fraudulent online fundraisers created in his name. 

State ride safety review

Dig deeper:

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King confirmed that state engineers and inspectors remain on-site examining Goliath's mechanical hardware, computerized sensors and maintenance logs. Regulators from the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire had evaluated the ride during a mandatory annual review on March 16, reporting zero citations, violations or mechanical red tags. 

A former Six Flags operator previously called Goliath "incredibly safe" following the fatal fall. Under Georgia safety regulations, any attraction involved in a fatality or serious injury must remain secured and out of service until the state finishes an independent regulatory investigation. 

Unanswered questions linger

What we don't know:

Authorities have not determined what caused Kariem to be ejected from the moving hypercoaster train. Officials have not confirmed whether mechanical failure, operator error, computerized sensor issues or physical factors contributed to the fall. 

Neither state regulators nor county officials have announced an estimated timeline for concluding their independent inquiries. Police also declined to share observations from an officer who was stationed on the ground when the fall occurred. 

"Well, at this moment in time, we're not going to say what happened and what the person observed that day," Ballard said regarding the responding officer. "But we do have an amazing peer support in Chapsons program that basically deals with our officer wellness on our department. So that's all I can share at this moment in time."