The teacher who fell to his death from a Six Flags roller coaster in Atlanta was at the park to celebrate his niece’s birthday, as a crisis expert criticized company executives for their silence following the tragedy. Hassan Kariem, 42, was killed in a freak accident on the Goliath roller coaster at the theme park in Austell, Georgia, on Monday, when he was thrown from his seat in front of horrified passengers.
Kariem, an education technology professional at Wesley International Academy, was at the park to celebrate the 13th birthday of his fiancée’s niece, according to his future brother-in-law, Joshua Nelson, who spoke to CNN.
‘His final moments and words were with her,’ said Nelson. ‘She called me crying after the ride ended stating Mr. Hassan fell off the ride.’ Witnesses said he flew out of his seat and collided with the ride’s metal frame a number of times before falling to the ground, leaving several of them covered in his blood. Images of Kariem falling over other passengers and flying head-first into the ride have since gone viral on social media. His family have pleaded with people to stop sharing the photos.
Six Flags officials have not disclosed details of the tragedy, prompting Marsha Archer, who has worked in crisis management for nearly 20 years, to demand answers.
Hassan Kariem, 42, died in a freak accident on a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday
Kariem, an education technology professional at Wesley International Academy, was at the park to celebrate the 13th birthday of his fiancée’s niece
‘Someone human has to step up to the plate and start answering those questions,’ Archer told WGRZ.
She called on top executives at the company to make a public statement.
‘I think the next steps is that someone from leadership, ideally that would be the president and CEO John Riley, would step up and say something,’ added the crisis expert.
‘I think the first and most important audience to address is the family of Hassan Kariem.’
A Six Flags spokesperson previously told the Daily Mail in a statement: ‘We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends, and loved ones.
‘The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.’
The spokesperson said the park was providing support for anyone affected and would not be immediately commenting further ‘out of respect for the family’s privacy.’
The gruesome incident unfolded at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday while riding the Goliath roller coaster
However, Archer called for more communication from the company through regular updates.
‘That might be repeated conversations, repeated social media posts, repeated press releases,’ said Archer.
She also suggested that Six Flags should inform employees about the details of the accident so they can answer guests’ questions.
An investigation has been launched into how Kariem fell to his death.
Eleven roller coasters have closed across North America following Kariem’s death.
The Goliath, which is the tallest roller coaster in Georgia, has been closed indefinitely. Six Flags has another version of the same roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California, which has been shut down as well.
‘Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks. The safety of our guests and team members is our highest priority,’ Six Flags spokesperson Sara Gorgon said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
The Goliath roller coaster reaches top speeds of 70mph and climbs over 200 feet in the air, making it the tallest roller coaster in Georgia
In addition, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation has closed the following roller coasters: Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey; Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds in North Carolina and South Carolina; and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island in Ohio.
Mako at SeaWorld Orlando has also been closed, according to WFTV.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Six Flags for comment.