Man dies after falling from roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, police and witnesses say

Atlanta —

A man has died at Six Flags Over Georgia, police said, with witnesses telling CNN affiliate WXIA that they saw the man fall from a roller coaster.

Several other people were injured, Cobb County police said.

A witness told WXIA the falling man was captured in his souvenir photo taken during the ride.

Six Flags Over Georgia addressed the incident in a statement, saying, “We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred today at our park. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the guest’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Other riders were being evacuated from the roller coaster, aerial video from WXIA showed.

The theme park is approximately 10 miles west of downtown Atlanta.

The death comes nearly two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced the permanent closure of its world-famous X2 attraction, following a CNN investigation that revealed a long history of roller coaster-related injuries and deaths.

Six Flags Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding wrote in a blog post that although the X2 roller coaster has “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it is the right thing to do.”

He added: “Travel safety is the cornerstone of our business, and when we see customer confidence being affected, we take it seriously. »

Claims that Southern California thrill ride riders were injured date back more than a decade, but had been largely kept secret until CNN’s investigation this summer revealed more than a dozen reports of serious injuries and hospitalizations associated with the ride, including at least two deaths. Most recently, two women ended up in the same Santa Clarita emergency room with brain injuries after riding an X2 just six days apart in July.

This is a developing story and will be updated.