42-year-old Hassan Kariem died on Monday after falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. His sister says he had been in remission from cancer and had survived a car fire only weeks earlier.
Hassan Kariem, 42, died on Monday afternoon after falling from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, in Cobb County near Atlanta. The roller coaster in question is a 200-foot hypercoaster that reaches speeds of up to 70 mph.
The tragedy happened at around 4 p.m. Witnesses told local TV stations they saw the man fall while the coaster was running, and other guests on the ride were left stuck and had to be evacuated. Four other people were also hurt, WSB-TV reported. Police said preliminary information from witnesses and staff indicates he was thrown from the ride and struck other guests before hitting the ground, where he was found unresponsive.
Kariem had survived a lot
Kariem’s sister, 35-year-old Andrea Clark told the New York Post that her brother had been in remission from cancer since 2015 and had survived a car fire just weeks before. Another relative told ABC News that he was at the park with family to celebrate his niece’s birthday.
“He’s an amazing person,” Clark said. “The coolest part about me was him.” She called him “my hero.” She said he was devoted to his family, helped raise his fiancée’s daughter and worked hard for the people around him. “He could do it all,” she said.
She said she can’t make sense of what happened. “He had other issues, but he’s healthy, he was able-bodied. I don’t understand it.”
Clark has also asked people to stop sharing video and photos of her brother’s final moments. “That’s just evil,” she told the Post. “It’s tragic, and I feel like we’ve gone too far as a society.”
Tributes are pouring in
Kariem worked for Atlanta Public Schools, which said his “presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched.” The district said he was part of the community at Wesley International Academy, a charter school in the district.
Six Flags said it is cooperating fully with the authorities investigating the fall, and the ride’s manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, said it was “deeply saddened by this tragic accident.” As a precaution, Six Flags has temporarily closed similar roller coasters at its other parks while safety reviews take place.
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