Funeral Held For Man Who Died At Six Flags Last Week

Hassan Kariem, the man who died last week after being ejected from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, is being laid to rest on Monday. 

According to WSB-TV, Kariem worked at Wesley International Academy in southeast Atlanta. He was a technology teacher before he became the school’s IT manager. Kariem also coached the school’s robotics team. Last week, Kariem was riding the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia with his niece, who was celebrating her birthday at the theme park. 

According to his niece, Kariem had passed out before he was ejected from the ride. “And she said it went up again and his, his latch, I guess, snapped or came, came loose,” Joshua Nelson, her father and Kariem’s brother-in-law, told WSB-TV.

Kariem’s death has led to increased calls for federal regulation over safety standards at theme parks. The New York Times reports that no nationally recognized safety standards exist for theme parks, and theme park lobbyists strongly push back against any effort to create them. 

“Because this is not nationally regulated, there is no easy way for people outside of the industry, and the parks themselves, to actually get a clear picture of what’s happening,” Tracy Mehan of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, told The Times.

The Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner oversees theme park safety in Georgia. The office inspected Goliath earlier this year and found no violations or deficiencies. Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King said that the office is continually investigating what led to Kariem’s death and that Goliath will remain closed while the investigation is underway. 

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Hassan Kariem, as well as everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident,” King said. “They deserve answers.

CNN reports that Kariem’s death has also shed light on government reports that detail several injuries that have occurred at Six Flags park and a history of poorly maintained rides. The company has been struggling financially due to lagging attendance and is carrying significant debt after a merger with rival Cedar Point. In fact, that merger led to a lawsuit filed by two investors who believe Six Flags didn’t properly invest in maintaining their attractions.

From CNN:

Two investor lawsuits filed last year allege that prior to the merger, Six Flags officials had put off basic park maintenance, infrastructure repairs and ride updates as it slashed employee headcount. In investor calls last year cited in the lawsuits, a Six Flags executive described a need to invest in “deferred items” at the amusement parks, while another stated the “list is always long” for needed improvements in response to a question from a financial analyst. Six Flags has not responded to the lawsuits’ claims in court.

The company “failed to make adequate capital investments to conduct routine facility maintenance or improve rides and attractions, and made drastic personnel cuts,” according to one investor lawsuit. The other alleges Six Flags “had for years deferred or foregone” necessary repairs.

Six Flags also faces another lawsuit filed by two people who rode the “X2” roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The lawsuit alleges that the ride gave the claimants significant brain damage and that the company failed to properly disclose the risks posed by the ride. X2 has been closed since July, after the lawsuit was filed. 

Six Flags said it was “committed to rigorous ride inspection, maintenance and safety procedures that meet or exceed industry standards,” in a statement sent to CNN. 

You know, it’s kind of hard to believe that when a man dies, and the lawsuits seem to keep piling up for Six Flags. 

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