Six Flags death has people looking at these past roller coaster tragedies
Roller coasters are built to make riders nervous. But after a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly roller coaster accident at Six Flags Over Georgia, questions about amusement park safety are getting new attention.
Hᴀssan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died Oct. 12 after investigators said he was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster in Georgia. He struck other riders before falling from the attraction, according to USA Today and an ᴀssociated Press report published by WTOP. Investigators were still working to determine how he was ejected and whether there was a problem with the ride’s restraints.
The tragedy quickly reached amusement parks far beyond Georgia. Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar roller coasters across North America, according to the ᴀssociated Press. In Ohio, Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island were among the rides shut down. Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey was also closed.
The fatal accident also brings to mind another tragedy involving a Six Flags roller coaster. In 2013, Rosa Ayala-Goana, 52, was ejected from the Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas. She fell about 75 feet after being thrown from her seat during a steep drop from the first large hill, according to Fox 4 in Dallas-Fort Worth. Her death raised questions about how she fit in the seat and whether the restraint properly protected her.
Another Six Flags roller coaster faced scrutiny in 2026 because of serious injury allegations. X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California had been closed since July after two women who rode it six days apart suffered brain hemorrhages, according to a Hollywood Reporter story published by Yahoo. The report said doctors who treated the women connected their injuries to rapid acceleration and deceleration during the ride. Six Flags maintained the coaster pᴀssed safety tests. The company later announced X2 would be permanently retired, Yahoo! reported.
Serious amusement ride accidents aren’t limited to Six Flags. A jury awarded $200 million in connection with the death of a 6-year-old girl who fell 110 feet from a ride at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Colorado. The report said operator errors led to the fatal fall.
Not every frightening roller coaster incident ends with an injury. Superman: The Ride at Six Flags New England stopped near the top of its lift hill in April 2026, forcing riders to leave the coaster and walk down the stairs alongside the track. No injuries were reported, and the park said the coaster has safety sensors designed to stop the ride when needed, USA TODAY reported.
Ohio has faced its own recent roller coaster safety questions. A rider was injured on Siren’s Curse at Cedar Point in August. However, the incident did not meet Ohio’s legal definition of a reportable amusement ride accident. That distinction shows how an injury on a roller coaster may not always be classified as an accident under state reporting rules.
There have been other unusual incidents at Cedar Point, too. In June, the park confirmed that a large metal washer fell from a roller coaster after a guest said the object nearly struck them, according to MLive. Earlier that month, another MLive report detailed a viral video showing the park’s newest coaster stopped in a vertical position. No injuries were reported in that incident.
The investigation in Georgia may eventually answer the biggest question facing riders: How could someone fall out of the Goliath roller coaster?
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Roller coasters are built to make riders nervous. But after a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly roller coaster accident at Six Flags Over Georgia, questions about amusement park safety are getting…