Six Flags Theme Park Forced to Shut Down Famed Roller Coaster After Piece Flies Off

Less than a week after the tragedy at Six Flags Over Georgia, another Six Flags theme park experienced a concerning incident that led to the closure of one of its famous roller coasters.

In a statement to local media outlet WOIO, a Six Flags Entertainment rep announced that Cedar Point shut down Millennium Force on Oct. 16 after a metal bracket broke off a car mid-ride.

The rep said the bracket missed visitors and staff. Therefore, no one was injured. The roller coaster was quickly closed and went through a safety inspection the following day.

The safety incident occurred after a Six Flags Over Georgia guest was killed after he was ejected while riding the theme park’s roller coaster, Goliath.

The guest was identified as 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, who was at the park with his family on Oct. 12. Witnesses said Kariem hit parts of the ride, including another car, before landing on the roof of a nearby Haunted House. He then fell to the ground underneath the roller coaster.

“He fell and hit the car three different times,” one witness said.

A souvenir photo captured the tragedy.

After the incident, Six Flags officials said they were “deeply saddened by the guest incident.”

As a precaution, Six Flags closed nearly a dozen rides similar to Goliath, which were Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America; Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain; Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure; Leviathan and Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland; Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds; and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island.

The Cobb County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating.