Roller coaster rider’s death at Six Flags draws attention to safety

The horrible death of a man who was ejected from Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia is calling attention to the safety of amusement park rides, which have become increasingly faster and steeper in their quest for the greatest thrill.

Fatal roller coaster accidents are extremely rare, and Georgian officials have said little about why Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta, was thrown from his seat Monday while riding the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, hitting other customers before falling below the ride.

Goliath sends riders plunging 200 feet (61 meters) at speeds reaching 70 mph (112 km/h). Rather than upside-down loops and corkscrews, the two-decade-old roller coaster focuses on speed and downhill dives.

Six flags temporarily closed nine similar coasters across North America as a precautionary measure. The ride’s manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, said it was “actively investigating the incident and will not make any further comment until we have a better understanding of what happened.”

A “gentle giant”

To his family, Kariem was a beloved and intelligent man who died while out with people he loved.

“He was just a great, smart guy,” said She Robinson, who identified herself as Kariem’s cousin. “He was a gentle giant that everyone loved.”

“He was smart like a little kid. He was quiet, and then he blossomed and blossomed into something phenomenal,” she said.

He loved Atlanta and Six Flags Over Georgia, Robinson said, and was visiting the park on Monday with his significant other, daughter and niece, Robinson said.

The United States has a patchwork of rules regarding rides

The federal government does not regulate roller coasters at large amusement parks. instead, oversight falls to states, creating what some call a patchwork of rules ranging from strict regulations to minimal oversight.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly sought to close what he calls a federal safety “loophole” that allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission to regulate traveling carnival rides but not stationary attractions in large parks.

The Georgia Bureau of Insurance and Fire Safety, which oversees annual inspections of rides, is “conducting a thorough and comprehensive review” of Monday’s death, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesman.

The amusement park industry has established its own safety standards

Amusement parks around the world typically adhere to what are called ASTM standards established by industry experts, which cover everything from attraction design and construction to the acceleration and force each rider is allowed to experience.

The industry has several layers of inspection, said Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and former president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group. Park operators are under pressure from insurance companies who could have to pay hefty sums if something goes wrong.

“With the checks and balances that are put in place, theme parks are truly one of the safest places on the planet,” he said Tuesday.

Industry figures show 1.27 serious and reportable injuries per million roller coaster rides in 2024. Across all amusement park rides, the trade group said “guest behavior” contributed to 66% of injuries that year, with 15% due to technical factors and 9% due to operational factors.

The group’s current president, Jakob Wahl, offered his condolences to Kariem’s ​​family on Wednesday.

Experts say roller coaster safety mechanisms are ‘reliable’

Martin Lewison, a roller coaster expert and professor at Farmingdale State College, said it’s hard to imagine there being a mechanical malfunction on a roller coaster like Goliath because of its design.

The ride has a flip-up restraint system called a “clamshell” that works with a ratchet mechanism that makes clicks when you press it on your hips. They have multiple drives to provide redundancy in the event of a failure, Lewison said.

“They’re reliable. They’re not technically advanced to the point where theme parks have difficulty operating,” Lewison said.

The operator then has a safety system that displays a green “Go” light for each seat on the train before it can be dispatched. The train theoretically should not be allowed to move forward unless all restraints are locked, Lewison said.

But few things are 100% sure.

In 2022, a 14-year-old Missouri boy fell to death from a ride at an Orlando amusement park when the harness did not latch properly due to its size. In 2013, a 52-year-old Dallas woman was killed when she slipped from her seat on the Texas Giant ride at Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags redesigned the restraint bar cushions and seat belts, and added a test seat at the ride entrance so guests can test whether they are safe.

Nick Mendenhall, who witnessed Monday’s death and has ridden Goliath more than a dozen times in recent weeks, said he saw Six Flags staff checking the restraints every time he rode the Goliath.

“There are two employees, one on each side of the train, and with their hands they push down and make sure it locks every time. I’ve never seen them not do it,” Mendenhall said.

States handle surveillance in different ways

California requires approval of new or modified rides from the state Department of Industrial Relations. Authorities directly inspect them and check their operation every year, or rely on an annual inspection carried out by the owner, according to the ministry’s website.

Florida exempts its largest theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal, from state safety inspections. Parks conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols, but must report injuries or deaths. Similarly, Texas relies on private inspectors hired by park operators or their insurance companies.

Arizona, where Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is ​​located, has no statewide agency that regulates amusement park rides or conducts safety inspections. The law requires annual private inspections, enforcement of which is largely left to local government. ___

This story has been updated to correct the name of a roller coaster expert to Martin Lewison, not Lewinson.

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Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed.