Georgia Opens Safety Review and Nitro Stays Closed in New Jersey After Six Flags Goliath Death

Since Monday's fatal fall from Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, the story has moved from one park to the whole chain. Regulators are now involved, and the closures have reached New Jersey.

Nitro closed with no reopening date

Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township confirmed to Patch on Tuesday that Nitro is shut. A company spokesperson said it was "out of an abundance of caution" and gave no timeline for reopening.

Nitro is one of nine coasters closed at six parks in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to Goliath in Georgia. The others are Raging Bull at Great America, Behemoth and Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, Goliath at Magic Mountain, Fury 325 and Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Orion and Diamondback at Kings Island. Counting the Georgia ride, that makes 10 closed.

Eight of the nine were built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. The exception is Goliath at Magic Mountain, built by the now-defunct Giovanola. B&M told ABC News it is "actively investigating the incident" and will say no more until it understands what happened.

Nitro opened in 2001. It was closed briefly in 2021 when a safety bar came loose, NJ.com reported at the time. Patch found no reports of serious injuries on the ride. A Great Adventure representative said the park is regularly closed on weekdays until Thursday. Fright Fest runs through Halloween, and the park has not said whether Nitro will be back before it ends.

Georgia opens a review

Georgia's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire has launched a review of the incident and of compliance with applicable policies and procedures, ABC News reported.

Cobb County police's Major Crimes Unit is running a separate investigation. Police say preliminary witness and employee interviews indicate Kariem came out of his seat, struck other riders and fell beneath the ride. Officers found him unresponsive at about 3:58 p.m. Four other people were injured. Police have not said what caused him to come out of his seat.

In New Jersey, the Department of Community Affairs oversees amusement rides. A spokesperson said the department was checking its records on Nitro. Its Carnival and Amusement Ride division inspects rides annually and again when an issue arises.

The restraint question

No official source has tied the fall to a specific restraint failure. The New York Post cited travel blogger Nathan Kerney as saying Goliath and Nitro have lap restraints but no backup safety belts. The Post noted that some B&M coasters do have belts. It also said it is unclear whether that had anything to do with the death. Six Flags did not respond to the Post's question on the matter.

The company's public position is limited. A spokesperson said Six Flags cooperated fully with local authorities and, "out of respect for the family's privacy," would not share more details.

The man and the market

Kariem, 42, of Atlanta, worked for more than 12 years at Wesley International Academy, a charter school, as IT manager, technology teacher and robotics coach. The school said he was "deeply loved and respected."

Witnesses told Atlanta TV stations they saw him fall and strike the ride several times. Paramedic radio traffic described two children in the same row being hit by his body.

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation's stock fell more than 14% on Tuesday, Newsday reported. The company operates 20 amusement parks, 14 water parks and nine resort properties across 13 states, Canada and Mexico, plus one park in Saudi Arabia.

What comes next

The cause is still unknown. Cobb County police and Georgia's safety review have not released findings, and B&M's investigation is still under way. Until they do, neither Six Flags nor the manufacturer has said whether the closed coasters share a defect or were closed purely as a precaution.

Six Flags has not said which findings would trigger reopenings, and it has set no date for any of the 10 rides.