A list of US roller coaster fatalities dating back to 2003
Oct 13, 2026, 10:20 AM
The X2 roller coaster is seen at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia , Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A man who fell to his death from a roller coaster at an Atlanta-area amusement park was not the first to die on such a ride in recent years.
Authorities have not released information about how 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was thrown from Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday. Several people also were injured.
Here’s a look at other fatalities and injuries on U.S. roller coasters:
The park in Southern California announced last month that it was retiring its famous X2 roller coaster following lawsuits alleging riders suffered serious brain injuries. The park settled one wrongful-death lawsuit with the family of a 22-year-old rider who was rushed to a hospital with severe brain bleeding in 2022. He died a day later. The medical examiner’s office determined he died from “blunt head trauma.” Six Flags Entertainment Corp. said the ride had consistently passed safety tests.
A medical examiner concluded last year that a man who was unresponsive after riding a roller coaster at the Universal Orlando Resort park died from blunt impact injuries. Joshua Stephany, the medical examiner for the Orlando area, ruled the death an accident. The man in his 30s was found unresponsive after riding Stardust Racers.
In 2013, a woman riding a roller coaster in Texas died after she was thrown from her seat, fell 75 feet (23 meters) and struck a metal beam. Witnesses said the woman expressed concern about the Texas Giant roller coaster’s safety bar not completely engaging as the ride was starting.
A U.S. Army veteran who lost both legs in Iraq was killed in 2011 after he was thrown from a roller coaster at Darien Lake Theme Park & Resort in upstate New York. Investigators said operators did not follow rules posted at the ride’s entrance, which require that riders have both legs.
A 21-year-old rider fell to her death from a roller coaster at the amusement park in Louisiana in 2010. A state investigation could not determine a cause.
In 2003, a locomotive broke loose from a train on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster in California, killing a man and injuring multiple other riders. The car derailed after a guide wheel fell off. State investigators found the wheel was not tightened according to Disney’s standards and a safety wire was not installed.
