Six Flags Over Georgia to reopen on Friday after deadly incident on Goliath roller coaster
Six Flags Over Georgia will reopen as scheduled later this week as the investigation into the deadly incident onboard one of the park's roller coasters continues.
In a statement to CBS News Atlanta, park officials said Six Flags Over Georgia will be open on Friday. The park has been closed since Monday due to its weekend operations schedule.
While the park will be reopened, its Goliath roller coaster will remain closed after the death of 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem onboard the ride on Monday afternoon. Witnesses say that Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other passengers as he fell.
State investigators and the ride's manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, are investigating the deadly incident. The park's parent company has shut down multiple similar rides across the country out of caution.
Kariem was the second death connected with Goliath in the ride's 20 years of operations, according to data from Atlanta-based attorneys The Doan Law Firm. The first was in 2006, in which a 45-year-old man became unresponsive on the ride. The law firm said it appeared that the man suffered a fatal heart attack while on the ride and that his death was believed to be due to a congenital heart condition.
Family of man killed at Six Flags warns about donation scams
Kariem was an IT manager, teacher, and robotics coach at Atlanta charter school Wesley International Academy.
On Facebook, the school described Kariem as a "beloved colleague, friend, and integral part of the Wesley family for more than 12 years."
"His love for Wesley, dedication to our students, and commitment to our school community were evident in everything he did," the post read. "Mr. Kariem was deeply loved and respected, and his absence will be felt throughout our school community. Our hearts are with his family, friends, colleagues, students, and all who knew and loved him as we mourn this tremendous loss."
On Wednesday, Kariem's family released a statement asking for privacy while noting that they have not created or authorized any crowdfunding accounts or fundraising appeals in his name.
"Please do not donate to requests posted in groups, on pages or through personal or professional accounts," the statement read in part. "If his mother decides to establish a scholarship or fund in his honor, she will announce it publicly through her designated official representative."
