Key Takeaways
- Six Flags Over Georgia shortened Dr. Fright’s Dead Man’s Party to Dr. Fright’s Party out of respect after a fatal accident on its Goliath roller coaster.
- Atlanta educator Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died after investigators say he was ejected from the ride, while four children suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
- Kariem’s niece said he appeared to lose consciousness before his restraint came loose; state officials and police continue investigating, and Goliath remains closed without a reopening date.
Six Flags Over Georgia is still open for scares this Halloween, minus two words on one show's marquee.
Days after a man fell to his death from the park's Goliath roller coaster, Six Flags shortened the name of its Fright Fest production from Dr. Fright's Dead Man's Party to Dr. Fright's Party. The park confirmed to USA Today on Thursday, October 15, that the change was made out of respect for the tragedy and those affected.
The original name hasn't disappeared entirely. Six Flags' own 2026 Fright Fest guide still advertises Dr. Fright's Dead Man's Party, describing an annual gathering of undead revelers at the Crystal Pistol Music Hall. The show's current listing, however, features the shorter title.
Theme park tracking website CrowdLevels documented the discrepancy early Thursday, also noting that Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey was using the shortened name. It's unclear exactly when the listings were updated.
The change follows Monday's fatal accident involving 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, an Atlanta educator who was riding Goliath during a family outing.
According to the Cobb County Police Department, officers responded around 3:58 p.m. on October 12 and found Kariem beneath the attraction, unresponsive and not breathing. Preliminary interviews indicated he had been ejected from the coaster, striking other passengers before falling. Four children were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
New details from his family have raised further questions about the circumstances.
Kariem was celebrating his niece's 13th birthday, and she was seated beside him when the incident occurred. His brother-in-law, Joshua Nelson, told WSB-TV that the girl reported Kariem appeared to lose consciousness before his safety restraint came loose. Investigators have not confirmed that account or determined what caused the accident.
"A large part of me does believe, you know, it was a freak accident," Nelson said, "but the other part of me, you know, questions was could this have been prevented?"
Georgia safety officials are now examining the coaster's equipment, operations and inspection records. Goliath passed its most recent state inspection on March 16 without any reported violations.
The incident also prompted precautionary closures of similar roller coasters across North America, coming just weeks after Six Flags permanently retired its X2 coaster in California amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries.
Six Flags Over Georgia reopened as scheduled on Friday, October 16, with Fright Fest moving forward under the updated show name. Goliath has no announced reopening date as state investigators and police work to determine what went wrong.
