The man who fell to his death from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia was an IT specialist and father of two on a trip with his family, the Daily Mail can reveal.
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Mail → fall → family
Hassan Kariem, 42, lost his life in a freak accident on the Goliath roller coaster at the theme park in Austell, Georgia on Monday, where he was thrown from his seat in front of horrified passengers.
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he → lose → passengers
A relative told the Daily Mail that Kariem's passing in the freak accident was a 'terrible shock' to his family, and said they 'just want to know what happened.'
Kariem is an education technology professional at the Wesley International Academy, according to his social media.
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Kariem → tell → media
An investigation into how Kariem fell to his death is underway, with witnesses saying the father of two fell from his seat when the ride flew in front of the ride's cameras.
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ride → fall → cameras
Images circulating social media showed Kariem falling headfirst over other riders and out of the rollercoaster, as families and small children recoiled in horror.
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families → circulate → horror
Witness Logan Conner told WXIA that Kariem began 'levitating' when he fell from the high-speed ride, and other riders 'made direct eye contact with him' before he struck the roller coaster several times on his way to the ground.
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he → tell → ground
Officials said the victim was riding with his son when he died, and other riders said Kariem's blood 'splattered over everybody' at the moment he collided with the coaster's frame.
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he → say → frame
Hassan Kariem, 42, has been identified as the man who tragically fell to his death from a Six Flags roller coaster in Austell, Georgia on Monday
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who → identify → Monday
A relative told the Daily Mail that Kariem's passing in the freak accident was a 'terrible shock' to his family
The victim died and several others were injured during an incident on the 200-foot-tall Goliath rollercoaster (above) at the theme park in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday
The Goliath roller coaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest roller coaster in all of Georgia.
The ride has now been temporarily closed, Six Flags said, along with a number of other rides at Six Flags attractions across the nation 'out of an abundance of caution.'
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Flags → tell → caution
It is unclear how exactly Kariem fell from the ride, with images showing he flew out of his seat while other riders watched on.
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riders → fall → seat
Officials said first responders were called to the scene at around 4pm local time, and an investigation has been launched into how the man fell to his death.
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man → say → death
One witness told 11Alive that he struck the front of the roller coaster 'right where the pictures are taken,' and he struck the frame of the roller coaster three times during the fall.
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he → tell → fall
Kariem then fell behind a haunted house attraction that had been set up for Halloween, witnesses said.
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witnesses → fall → Halloween
One rider said the victim fell at the moment that the rollercoaster was 'ascending up,' and immediately others 'heard a scream.
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others → say → scream
'
'We looked down, and we see people running and panicking,' he said.
'So as soon as that happened, as we're ascending, we got stuck, and we didn't know if it was a problem with ours or something else; maybe it was something else, but that was before we heard the news that everyone else has heard.'
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everyone → look → that
Riders seen walking down the side of the rollercoaster to evacuate following the freak accident on Monday
The Goliath rollercoaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest rollercoaster in Georgia
Riders were left 'screaming' on the towering rollercoaster after the man fell to his death
Another witness described the moment the roller coaster struck the victim as: 'The ride hit him, and then he flew back up again, and it hit him again, and then that's when he was, I guess, flung from the ride.'
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I → see → ride
'It went from having a great time to just screaming, 'Oh my God, what is happening,'' he added.
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he → go → time
'You don't see things like this happen.
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things → see → this
It should never happen.'
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It → happen → ?
Following the tragedy, a Six Flags spokesperson said in a statement: 'We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today.
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We → follow → park
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.'
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thoughts → love → family
'The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.'
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they → respond → investigation
The spokesperson said the park was providing support for anyone affected, and would not be immediately commenting further 'out of respect for the family's privacy.'
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park → say → privacy
In a separate statement, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation said it has also closed similar rides at other parks 'out of an abundance of caution.'
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it → say → caution
A father who tragically fell to his death from a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia flew over other riders and landed on a haunted house during the fatal fall, witnesses say
Six Flags closed the attraction following the tragedy
Cobb County Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid also called it a 'terrible tragedy' as she announced that the man's next of kin have been notified about his untimely passing.
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next → fall → passing
'I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,' she said, asking the public to 'please keep in your thoughts the family of the deceased, those who were injured, the employees and leadership of Six Flags and our community.
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who → imagine → Flags
'We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories,' Cupid said.
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Cupid → grapple → memories
It remains unclear what may have caused the tragedy.
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what → remain → tragedy
The Goliath, which was manufactured by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, opened at the park in 2006, and its 200-foot top altitude makes it the tallest rollercoaster in Georgia.
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it → manufacture → Georgia
During about 3 1/2 minutes, riders 'navigate through razor-sharp turns and soar over colossal hills,' the website says.
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website → navigate → hills
It comes just one month after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it was demolishing its notorious X2 roller coaster, following a series of lawsuits alleging it had caused severe injuries to riders.
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it → come → riders
Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced last month it was demolishing its notorious X2 rollercoaster following a series of lawsuits alleging it had caused severe injuries to riders
Christopher Hawley (center), 22, died after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Mountain Magic with his brother and cousin in 2022
Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, seen left, collapsed after the ride and had massive brain bleeding, while Pamela Guillen, 40, seen right suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2
The theme park had settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died after riding the coaster in 2022, and three other lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed.
The ride had then been closed since the evening of July 12, after two women who rode the coaster less than a week apart needed to be rushed to the hospital.
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who → announce → hospital
One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, collapsed shortly after the ride ended and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside the skull that required emergency brain surgery.
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that → collapse → surgery
She now remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator.
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She → remain → ventilator
Her family has filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on her behalf, with her attorneys saying that more than 100 people have claimed they suffered brain injuries from the roller coaster over the past two years.
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they → file → years
Another woman, 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, suffered severe brain hemorrhages after riding the X2 at Six Flags in Valencia, California.
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woman → suffer → Valencia
Her daughter, Camille Marquez, told CNN: 'We got off the cart and we saw my mom.
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we → tell → mom
She looked lifeless.
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She → look → ?
'
More lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks, the lawyers then vowed.
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lawyers → file → weeks
The Aporia
