Six Flags temporarily closes 9 rides at 6 parks after fatal incident on Georgia roller coaster

Six Flags temporarily closed nine rides in six of its parks after a man died when he fell off a roller coaster Six flags over Georgia Monday, the company said.

The man fell from his seat on Goliath, a hypercoaster that reaches 70 miles per hour and 200 feet high, witnesses said. Several other people were injured in the incident, police said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions in our parks,” a Six Flags spokesperson said Monday. “The safety of our guests and team members remains one of our highest priorities.”

Six Flags did not specify which attractions were suspended, but CBS News Philadelphia reported the Nitro roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, was among the rides closed.

Six Flags Over Georgia was closed Tuesday for a planned non-operating day, the company said.

The police have identified the man died Monday as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta.

One witness described seeing the man “stand straight up from his seat.”

“Everything seemed to happen in slow motion,” said Nick Mendenhall, who had ridden Goliath minutes earlier with his teenage son. “It was just surreal to see this happen.”

Six Flags said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and is cooperating fully with authorities.

The incident comes two weeks after Six Flags permanently closed its doors. Roller coaster X2 at Magic Mountain in Southern California in the middle several lawsuits alleging the ride caused severe brain damage. Six Flags declined to comment on the pending litigation.

An investigation is underway in Georgia to determine what happened Monday.

Brian Avery, a professor of law and risk management at the University of Florida, said investigators will review video footage, interview logs and statements from witnesses and transportation officials.

“All of these are clues to determining the root cause and trying to get to a true understanding of why this would have happened,” he said.

Avery said the chances of being involved in an incident involving roller coasters are very low, but he added that he hopes to see some federal oversight of safety standards for rides.

“We need uniformity in our standards and we need to understand how each park operates so that they operate by the same book, if you will,” he said.

Somitra Butalia contributed to this report.