Six Flags Magic Mountain has shut down its Goliath roller coaster following a death at a Georgia park involving the same ride.
Cobb County police confirmed one person died Monday and said several other parkgoers were injured, but did not confirm the cause of the injuries. The department is investigating the incident.
The victim was identified as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, an Atlanta resident. Officials said Kariem “struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction.”
The park told Los Angeles it would not release further details out of respect for Kariem’s family and would cooperate with the police investigation.
Witnesses told NBC affiliate WXIA in Atlanta that they saw a man fall from the Goliath roller coaster, allegedly striking multiple parts of the ride before hitting the ground.
In the wake of the tragedy, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia has also closed its Goliath coaster, a park representative said Monday.
Southern California’s Magic Mountain is not the only park to close the ride following the fatal incident.
Six Flags has closed seven similar rides across the country, with no current timeline for reopening. The company’s stock plunged 14% Tuesday following the death in Georgia.
“We were deeply saddened by the guest incident at one of our parks yesterday,” a Six Flags spokesperson said. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest’s family, friends and loved ones. We are also providing support to the guests and team members affected.”
Goliath’s closure follows the recent retirement of Magic Mountain’s X2 roller coaster, which has allegedly caused multiple traumatic brain injuries this year alone, according to Dordick Law Firm, which is suing the park on behalf of three clients. The firm alleges that rides such as X2 cause serious injuries because of Six Flags’ negligence, though the park maintains that it follows proper safety measures and testing procedures.
“It’s the design of this ride that makes it inherently dangerous and makes it dangerous in a way that no reasonable rider would expect,” attorney Christopher Bulone said. “Time after time, innocent people are coming off the ride with permanent brain damage.”
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