Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta resident, has been identified as the person killed after being ejected from a roller coaster at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park. Officers found Kariem beneath the ride, unresponsive and not breathing, before securing the scene and requesting assistance from the department's Major Crimes Unit, the Cobb County Police Department told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Tuesday. The department said Kariem's next of kin had been notified.
Officers at the park in Austell, about 10 miles west of Atlanta, responded at approximately 3:58 p.m. on Monday to an incident involving a guest. "Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interview indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction," the Major Crimes Unit said in its statement. A witness told Atlanta news outlet 11Alive that the fall was captured in a souvenir photograph.
Investigators have not publicly said what caused Kariem to be ejected. Police said they are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and described the investigation as "active and ongoing." Georgia's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which oversees amusement parks, is also investigating the incident. The agency said its team was conducting an "in-depth and comprehensive review" to determine the circumstances and whether applicable policies and procedures were followed, 11Alive reported.
Six Flags has temporarily closed similar roller coasters at several parks in the United States and Canada following the death. Newsweek reached out to Six Flags via email for comment. Kariem was 42 and lived in Atlanta, according to the Cobb County Police Department.
His family told 11Alive that Kariem was a passionate educator at Wesley International Academy in the metro Atlanta area and equally passionate about the city. Family members also described him as someone who cared deeply about uniting families. "Atlanta Public Schools extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr.
Kariem," APS said in a statement emailed to Newsweek Tuesday. "He was a cherished member of the Wesley International Academy and APS families whose presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched. Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time," the district said in a statement.
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