Injuries and Dangerous Malfunctions Uncovered at Six Flags

This week, a tragic accident at Six Flags Over Georgia resulted in the death of a 42-year-old man, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, and injuries to several others. This incident raises serious concerns about the park’s maintenance practices and the safety of its attractions, particularly given the history of injuries reported at Six Flags parks over recent years, as highlighted by CNN.

On Monday, Hassan was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster and fell onto other riders. Following this incident, Six Flags took the precautionary measure of closing at least ten rides across its various parks. These events have intensified scrutiny over the company’s operational safety, especially in light of its stock value plummeting by 80% since a 2024 merger with Cedar Fair, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

CNN’s investigation revealed troubling maintenance and safety records across more than a dozen Six Flags parks in three states, out of a total of 30 parks nationwide. Over the past five years, these records indicate incidents such as a train derailment, malfunctioning restraint bars, and injuries to guests that included dislocated joints and concussions.

In California alone, Six Flags has documented nearly 300 incidents since 2021, following a state mandate requiring reports for any accidents necessitating medical attention beyond basic first aid. Notable incidents at New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure include a train derailment in 2024, multiple evacuations of a log ride, and a child sustaining a head injury on a coaster restraint. the coaster El Toro was found to be structurally unsound and was closed for most of a year after an incident in August 2022 injured over a dozen riders, leading to ongoing lawsuits.

In Texas, reports frequently involved patrons being thrown from inner tubes on water park rides and other ride-related injuries, as indicated by CNN.

A representative from Six Flags did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment. CNN reported that the company issued a statement asserting that all guest injuries are taken seriously.

The company’s statement highlighted that the reported incidents “span multiple parks, attractions, years, jurisdictions, and circumstances, and may reflect differing state reporting requirements along with a wide range of incidents and outcomes.” They cautioned that broad conclusions drawn from these reports might not capture the full context of individual events or their overall safety strategy.

The Georgia incident comes after a separate CNN investigation into the X2 coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which was permanently closed last month following two female riders requiring brain surgery in July and over 100 others alleging brain injuries. There are ongoing investor lawsuits from last year claiming that Six Flags has neglected necessary routine maintenance for years, according to CNN.

Popular Mechanics noted that while the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) initially had regulatory oversight of fixed-site theme parks, Congress revoked this authority in 1981. This shift left state governments in charge of regulation, leading to inconsistent safety standards across states.

Although the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions estimates the risk of serious injury on a ride at a fixed-site theme park is one in 15.5 million, The Regulatory Review points out that the available data is incomplete and gathered on a voluntary basis, as reported by Popular Mechanics.