Six Flags to add seatbelts to Goliath coaster after fatal fall of Georgia rider

Six Flags plans to fit seatbelts on its Goliath rollercoaster at its Georgia park following the death of a rider who fell from the attraction earlier this month.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old father and educator, was ejected from his seat while riding Goliath, a coaster that sends riders down a 165ft drop followed by a second plunge of 180ft. As he fell, he struck the ride's other cars.

Authorities in Georgia have opened an investigation into Kariem's death. The fatal fall led the company to temporarily shut down Goliath along with eight rides at five other parks.

"What happened has deeply affected all of us at Six Flags. Safety has always been fundamental to the experience we provide for our guests," the company's chief executive, John Reilly, wrote on Friday.

Reilly announced that seatbelts will also be installed on other coasters that use a similar restraint system, though he did not specify which rides would be included. Goliath currently relies on a lap bar that locks across a rider's waist, a design produced by Bolliger & Mabillard.

The park has additionally brought in an independent review of safety procedures covering all of its attractions.

"I know trust is earned through actions and not words," Reilly said. "We will continue to communicate about our progress and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments to you."

The deadly incident at Six Flags Over Georgia comes while the company faces a lawsuit over alleged bodily harm involving its X2 ride at Magic Mountain. A recent CNN investigation revealed a long record of brain injuries and at least two deaths connected to that coaster.

According to court documents, a group of former riders who say they suffered brain injuries on X2 has accused the park of operating a defective coaster and of negligence for keeping it running.

Six Flags permanently closed the X2 coaster in September.