Roller coaster rider's death puts spotlight on the safety of ever more thrilling rides

The horrific death of a man who was ejected from a Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia is drawing attention to the safety of amusement park rides that have become increasingly faster and steeper in their quest for the biggest thrill.

Even so, deaths on roller coasters are still extremely rare, and Georgia officials have said little about what happened Monday when Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was thrown from his seat while riding the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia before striking other patrons and then landing below the ride.

Goliath uses a sheer drop from 200 feet (61 meters) to reach top speeds of 70 mph (112 kph) and focuses on velocity and downhill plunges rather than turning riders upside down through loops or corkscrews. It has operated at the park for two decades.

Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar coasters across North America following the death, saying it was doing so out of an abundance of caution.

Ride manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard said it is “actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened.”

In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government. That responsibility falls to states.

Some say this has led to an inconsistent patchwork of rules where some states have strict regulations and others have little to no oversight.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly introduced legislation to close what he calls a “loophole” in federal law that allows U.S. safety officials to regulate mobile rides, but prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from overseeing stationary rides like those at major amusement parks.

Brian Avery, a University of Florida professor and amusement ride safety expert, agrees that more federal regulations are needed.

“Who’s watching those in these organizations to ensure that they are adequately trained, that they are compliant, that they are monitoring these rides to the level in which the standards have established?” Avery said.

Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections in the state, is “conducting an in‑depth and comprehensive review” of what happened Monday at Six Flags, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson.

Amusement park operators worldwide generally adhere to what are known as ASTM standards set by industry experts, which cover everything from ride design and construction to how much acceleration and force each rider is allowed to experience.

The industry has multiple layers of inspection, said Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group. Park operators are under pressure from insurance carriers that could face a hefty payout if something goes wrong.

“With the checks and balances that are put in place, theme parks are really one of the safest places to be on the planet,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday.

The trade group said the chance of being seriously injured on a U.S. amusement park ride is 1 in 15.5 million rides taken.

Martin Lewinson, a roller coaster expert and a professor at Farmingdale State College, said it was difficult to imagine there being a mechanical malfunction on a roller coaster such as Goliath because of its design.

The ride features a pull-down lap restraint, called a “clamshell,” that works with a ratchet mechanism that makes clicking sounds as you press it down over your hips. These have multiple disks to ensure redundancy if one fails, Lewinson said.

“They’re dependable. They’re not so technically advanced that theme parks have difficulty with operations,” Lewinson said.

The operator then has a safety system that displays a green “go” light for every seat on the train before it can be dispatched. The train should theoretically not be allowed to proceed unless all restraints are locked, Lewinson said.

But few things are 100% safe.

In 2022, a 14-year-old Missouri boy fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride when the harness didn't lock properly due to his size. In 2013, a 52-year-old Dallas woman was killed when she slipped out of her seat on the Texas Giant ride at Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags has since added redesigned restraint-bar pads, seat belts and a coaster seat at the ride’s entrance so guests can check before they get on whether they fit safely into the cars.

Nick Mendenhall, who has been on the Goliath more than a dozen times in recent weeks, said he saw Six Flags staff check the restraints each time he rode it.

“There are two employees, one on either side of the train, and with their hands they push down and they make sure it locks every time. I’ve never seen them not do it,” Mendenhall said.

In California, the state Department of Industrial Relations approves new rides and rides that have been modified. State officials either directly inspect them and how they are being operated each year or rely on an annual inspection by the owner, according to the department's website.

Florida’s largest theme parks, on the other hand, are exempt from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs. Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols, but they must report to the state any injury or death. Texas, similarly, relies on inspections carried out by private inspectors hired by park operators or their insurance companies.

Arizona, where Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is located, does not have a state-level agency that regulates amusement park rides or conducts safety inspections at all. The law requires an annual private inspection, with enforcement largely by local government.

A roller coaster is shown at Six Flags over Georgia on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien) Correction changes location to outside Atlanta.

FILE - This aerial view shows the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Attractions are seen near Interstate-20 at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — With the crowd chanting his name, a fired-up Freddy Peralta pumped one fastball after another past hitters all night long.

Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after José Ramírez's fielding error and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the AL Championship Series at 1-1.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Cleveland.

Peralta threw the hardest pitch of his big league career at 99.4 mph and relied on his four-seam fastball on 71 of 99 pitches — his 71.7% usage was his highest since June 11, 2019.

“It’s no secret that I trust in my fastball a lot and it’s my best pitch,” Peralta said.

Peralta's 96.9 mph average fastball velocity was 2.6 mph above his season average.

“It plays a big role, the adrenaline,” Peralta said. “And also I define myself as a competitor, and I like these kind of games. I’ve always said in the past, that I enjoyed this as a Dominican pitcher. I grew up watching the games in D.R., and that’s the game that you see. And I got used to that because I grew up watching it. And I feel that I have that in me, in myself. And that’s the way that I feel when I am on the mound in these kind of games.”

Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.

“I just enjoyed the moment because it was a really good at-bat,” Peralta said. “It wasn’t an easy game since the first pitch that I threw until the last one. It was a lot of competition between me and the hitters. ... I think that was why I was fired up like that.”

Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.

Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded into a forceout originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.

After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.

Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.

“It's a little bit faster here this type of surface,” Ramirez said through a translator. “It's frustrating. I feel bad.”

Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.

Peralta and three relievers didn’t need any more support.

“I think the velocity really stood out,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta.

Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramírez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.

Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.

Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth postseason save.

Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.

He pitched his latest gem in front of Mets owner Steve Cohen, who was in attendance.

“We have a good relationship,” Peralta said of Cohen. “I think he’s awesome. And I’m happy that he was here watching, not watching me, watching the Rays.”

Messick, who grew up going to Rays games at the Trop, took the loss after giving up six hits and the three unearned runs in five innings.

Cleveland had won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.

The 98-win Rays swept the New York Yankees before a 7-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.

That was their first loss in two weeks. Now, they're back on the winning track and need three more in a series that's reduced to a best of five to advance to their third World Series.

After batting cleanup in the first two games against the Yankees and sixth in Game 3 of that series, Hicks wasn't in the lineup against lefty Foster Griffin on Monday and batted eighth against Messick.

He doesn't care where he hits.

“This lineup is so good, you can hit anywhere in the lineup, and you’re not getting offended,” Hicks said. “There’s going to be opportunities.”

Caminero leaped to his left to snag Steven Kwan's hard liner to third in the fifth and then wagged a finger toward the batter. Caminero, who played all 162 games in the regular season and hit 42 home runs, was in the lineup after a collision with DeLuca on a foul ball in the ninth inning Monday night.

Rays RHP Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.52 ERA) starts Thursday night. He struck out four and gave up one run in two innings of relief against the Yankees. RHP Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76) is expected to start for the Guardians. Williams started Games 2 and 5 against the White Sox and tossed an inning in relief in Game 4. He had 24 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez watches during the second inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick reacts during the second inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates after striking out Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin during the sixth inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates after scoring against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates the last out in the top of the fifth inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)