Six Flags will install seatbelts on its Goliath rollercoaster in Georgia, after a rider plummeted to his death earlier this month. Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old father and educator, was thrown from his seat on the Goliath, a coaster that plunges riders down 165ft, before a second drop of 180ft. On his way down, he collided with the ride’s other cars.
Georgia authorities have launched a probe into Kariem’s death. The gruesome fall prompted the park to temporarily close the Goliath and eight rides at five other parks. Safety has always been fundamental to the experience we provide for our guests,” the theme park’s CEO, John Reilly, wrote on Friday.
Seatbelts will also be added to coasters with a similar restraint, he announced, although an exact list remains unclear. The Goliath features a lap bar that locks over a rider’s waist, a design from Bolliger & Mabillard. The park has also commissioned an independent review of the safety procedures for all of its attractions.
A recent CNN investigation uncovered a long history of brain injuries and at least two deaths linked to the ride. A group of past riders who say they sustained brain injuries on X2 has accused the park of having a defective coaster and negligence for allowing its continued operation, according to court documents. Six Flags permanently shut down the embattled X2 coaster in September.
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