Follow-Up: Six Flags Over Georgia to Reopen Oct. 16 Evening; Goliath Stays Closed as Police Confirm Four Injured Were Minors
AUSTELL, Ga. — Six Flags Over Georgia will reopen on the evening of Friday, October 16, according to USA TODAY's October 15 report. The park is currently operating on a weekend schedule, and its website lists Friday's hours as 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The Goliath roller coaster, where a fatal incident occurred on Monday, will remain closed.
In a statement posted on the park's website, Park President Richard Pretlow said the park was deeply saddened by the incident, offered condolences to the victim's family, friends and loved ones, and acknowledged the guests and team members affected. The statement said the park team responded immediately and has cooperated fully with local authorities, and that no further details would be shared out of respect for the family's privacy. Pretlow said Goliath remains temporarily closed and that the park does not have an anticipated reopening date at this time.
In an update issued on the evening of October 14, the Cobb County Police Department said all four passengers injured in the incident were juveniles. The four were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said that because the injured are minors, their names, exact ages and other identifying details will not be released, and no further information about their injuries will be shared.
Police previously identified the man who died as Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, of Atlanta. He worked as the IT manager at Wesley International Academy, an Atlanta Public Schools charter school, and had also served as a technology teacher and robotics coach, according to the school and district statements reported by local and national media.
Earlier reporting: At about 3:58 p.m. on October 12, Kariem was ejected from the Goliath coaster, struck other patrons and fell beneath the attraction. Responding officers found him unresponsive and not breathing, and he was pronounced dead; four other riders were injured. GSM reported on October 13 on the one death and four injuries, and on Six Flags' subsequent precautionary closure of nine similar coasters at six of its parks in the United States and Canada.
Goliath opened in 2006, rises about 200 feet and reaches speeds of up to 70 mph, with a ride time of about three and a half minutes, according to the park. The Cobb County Police Department's Major Crimes Unit and the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire are still investigating, and no cause has been announced. Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard told USA TODAY it is reviewing the incident and will not comment further until it has a better understanding of what happened.
(Sources: USA TODAY, October 15, 2026; Six Flags Over Georgia park update statement; Cobb County Police Department update of October 14, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta and other outlets)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：佐治亚六旗乐园「歌利亚」过山车螺旋弯道（资料图）。摄影：Coasterman1234，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons（File:Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia) 05.JPG）
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