Six Flags roller coaster victim beat cancer twice, survived car fire with daughter weeks before fatal ride
MABLETON, GEORGIA: Hassan Kariem, the 42-year-old man who died after falling from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday, October 12, had survived two bouts of cancer and a car fire in the weeks before the accident, according to his family.
His sister, Andrea Clark, has now shared details of those earlier experiences, along with memories of his role in their family and her objections to the circulation of footage showing his final moments.
Tragic Goliath incident at Six Flags Over Georgia (Oct 12). Green marker shows the on-ride camera right before Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem (42), an Atlanta educator & father, was ejected. He struck the train and riders before landing on a nearby roof. Thoughts with his family. https://t.co/fSMG3n04xM
— Dan ✪ (@maldonado2933) October 14, 2026
Victim survived car fire before tragedy
Andrea Clark said her brother had been cancer-free and in remission since 2015, telling the New York Post on Tuesday that he had overcome serious health challenges before his death.
Hassan had also recently escaped a car fire with his daughter, another frightening episode that occurred only weeks before the rollercoaster incident.
Clark said her brother had continued to lead an active life despite his past struggles, making his sudden death all the more difficult for the family to process.
Remembering Kariem as someone she looked up to, Clark spoke about the important role he played in the lives of those around him.
She said he was devoted to providing for his family and had helped raise his fiancee's daughter, whom he had known since she was three years old.
Clark also spoke out against the circulation of footage showing the circumstances surrounding her brother's fall.
She said the continued sharing of the images was causing additional pain for relatives already struggling to come to terms with his death.
“That's just evil,” she told the media. “It's tragic, and I feel like we've gone too far as a society.”
🚨Roller Coaster Fatality at Six Flags Over Georgia Tragedy struck outside Atlanta on Monday after a man fell to his death from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. In an official statement, park management expressed that they were "deeply saddened by the guest incident," noting that park staff and local emergency responders acted immediately. Witnesses described a harrowing scene. One visitor said that the falling man was accidentally captured in their souvenir park photo, recounting, “He was in our pictures. He fell and hit the car three different times.” The devastating accident left terrified riders stranded on an incline and forced a complete evacuation of the amusement park. Police have identified 42 Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, an educator with Atlanta Public Schools who worked at Wesley International Academy, visited Six Flags Over Georgia with his wife and two children. Around 3:50 p.m., Hassan and his son boarded Goliath a massive, high speed coaster towering 200 feet in the air and reaching speeds up to 70 mph with a single lap bar securing riders According to witness accounts, toward the end of the ride, Hassan was suddenly ejected from his seat. One rider described a chilling scene, stating he appeared to "levitate sideways" before falling and striking parts of the structure multiple times on the way down. Four other people on the ride sustained injuries during the incident, and Hassan’s body ultimately came to rest on the roof of a nearby haunted house attraction. The exact cause of the tragedy remains under investigation. In response to the incident, Six Flags has temporarily closed nine roller coasters across six of its amusement parks while reviews are conducted. About Goliath: Opened in 2006, the Goliath roller coaster is one of the park’s premier attractions. According to official park details: Speed & Height: Reaches a top speed of 70 mph (113 kph) and a towering height of 200 feet (61 meters). The Experience: Spans roughly 3.5 minutes, taking riders through razor-sharp turns and soaring over colossal hills. To get a sense of the coaster's sheer scale and speed, visitor Justin Kirby captured this point-of-view footage using his Meta smart glasses during a previous ride. #SixFlags #GoliathRollerCoaster #AmusementParkSafety #RollerCoaster #NewsUpdate
— Amy Leigh (@IAmyLeigh) October 13, 2026
Six Flags tragedy stuns community
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died after being thrown from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.
The fatal incident unfolded in front of other park visitors, with witnesses describing a terrifying sequence in which Kariem appeared to come out of his seat, strike the coaster car and fell from the ride.
According to preliminary information from witness and employee interviews cited by Cobb County police, Kariem hit other riders before falling beneath the attraction.
Responding officers found him unresponsive and not breathing. The department’s Major Crimes Unit launched an investigation to establish what led to the fall.
The incident left other visitors shaken. Some riders were stranded on the coaster and had to be brought down with assistance.
Witnesses also reported that several people were injured during the incident, although officials had not immediately released details about their conditions.
The fatal accident also triggered a wider response from Six Flags, with the company temporarily closing nine similar roller coasters across six parks in the US and Canada.
