Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem went to Six Flags Over Georgia to celebrate his niece’s birthday, excited to ride one of his favorite attractions. Sitting beside the young girl on the Goliath roller coaster, the 42-year-old Atlanta educator was enjoying the twists and drops when something went terribly wr ong.  According to the child’s account relayed by her father, Kariem’s restraint appeared to snap or come loose, sending him plunging from the ride. Now, as Kariem’s family struggles to process his death, investigators are examining the coaster’s safety systems and maintenance records for answers.  Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem dies after Goliath ejects him at Six Flags Over Georgia. (Photo: Facebook/ Hassan Jihad Kariem, Elijah Nouvelage/ Getty Images) Inspectors found no violations, deficiencies, or citations when they examined the ride in March, but the fatal incident has raised questions about how the attraction’s multiple safety features failed to keep a passenger inside. “He said that this was one of his favorite rides and how excited he was to be there,” Joshua Nelson, Kariem’s brother-in-law and the father of the niece who rode beside him, told WSB-TV. Nelson described how his daughter remembered the final moments of the ride. Family of Black Father Killed in Georgia Six Flags Roller Coaster Horror Begs Public to Stop Sharing Images of His Death White Off-Duty Cop Tries to Intimidate Man He Deems ‘Shady’ “Her words were he passed out and then they went up and down,” Nelson said. “She said it went up again and his latch, I guess, snapped or came loose and he fell.” Nelson said he hoped Kariem had not felt pain before he died. But the loss has left the family grappling with a question that investigators have yet to answer. “A large part of me does believe, you know, it was a freak accident, but the other part of me questions… could this have been prevented?” Nelson said. Georgia safety officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, including whether the ride complied with state requirements. Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King said his office was working to determine what happened and whether anyone violated safety rules. King said investigators will conduct an “in-depth examination of the ride, its operation, and records” to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and whether the ride operators followed all applicable state safety requirements. The most recent state inspection of Goliath took place on March 16, roughly seven months before the fatal accident, according to local reports.  Investigators found no violations, deficiencies, citations, or red tags during that inspection. “As part of the ongoing investigation, OCI [Office of the Commissioner of Insurance] is conducting a full review of relevant inspection, permitting, and incident-report records,” King said in a press release. The coaster ejected Kariem shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, sending him into a wooded area below the track and causing fatal injuries. The incident also injured four other passengers, all children and teenagers, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and went to hospitals for treatment. Kariem’s niece sat beside him on the ride but escaped physical injury. State officials shut down the coaster after the incident and will keep it closed until they complete their investigation and determine whether it can reopen. “Our responsibility is to ensure that every applicable requirement is carefully examined and that the law is upheld”, King said. “If our investigation identifies violations or failures to comply with state safety requirements, we will take the appropriate actions authorized under Georgia law. The safety of our citizens is not negotiable.” A former Six Flags ride operator said the coaster relied on several mechanical and computerized safeguards intended to prevent a train from departing with improperly secured restraints. Brycen Whatley, who worked at the park from 2024 to 2025 and operated Goliath in 2024, said the news stunned him. Whatley told FOX 5 Atlanta that the news shocked him. “It was pretty disturbing how something that serious could happen,” he added. “That’s a very tragic incident.” Whatley explained that the coaster’s lap bars must meet specific locking requirements before the ride can begin. Operators also inspect visual indicators to verify that the restraints lock securely in place. “We had multiple different safety measures,” Whatley said, emphasizing, “we had both visual and mechanical safety measures.” “With each lap-bar restraint, it has to be down a certain amount before it’ll show green on the main panel,” he said. “It is not able to leave the station unless all restraints are green,” Whatley explained. “That means it has to get at least three clicks.” He said operators also check a marking near the restraint’s pivot point and described a mechanical locking system designed to prevent the bar from releasing unexpectedly. “There is also a visual confirmation of where the restraint pivots. There’s also a little yellow line,” he said, adding, “There is no way around it — even in maintenance mode, there’s no way around it.” Whatley described the locking mechanism as “it’s like a gear, and there’s a pin.” Asked about the coaster’s safety, he said, “They are incredibly safe,” adding, “These types of accidents are very, incredibly rare.” View on Threads ‘Shocked’: Niece of Black Father Killed at Six Flags Says He Passed Out Before Falling to His Death, as Records Reveal Troubling Detail About the Ride ...read more read less