Man dies after falling off Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia

• Rides closed after death: Six Flags says it has temporarily closed nine rides across the country after a man died and several others were injured yesterday in a roller coaster incident at an amusement park in Georgia.

• Eyewitness accounts: The victim fell from the Goliath roller coaster and “hit the car three different times” before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction below, an onlooker told CNN affiliate WXIA . Officials have not shared the man’s identity or that of the other victims.

• CNN investigation: The tragedy comes two weeks after Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it would permanently close its world-famous ride X2 following a CNN investigation that documented reports of life-altering injuries and deaths.

CNN has investigated years of injuries and deaths at Six Flags

Separately, and prior to the incident in Georgia, Six Flags announced in September plans to permanently shutter one of its most famous roller coasters.

It came roughly a month after a CNN investigation exposed a long history of life-altering injuries and deaths linked to the ride.

Allegations that the X2 injured riders date back more than a decade but had been largely kept under wraps until CNN’s investigation revealed more than a dozen reports of injuries and hospitalizations associated with the ride, including at least two deaths.

In July, two women ended up in the same Santa Clarita emergency room with brain injuries after riding X2 just six days apart.

In three lawsuits filed in September, three riders who suffered life-threatening injuries this year — including 26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson who remains in a coma — allege that Six Flags had ample notice of the ride’s alleged dangers and should not have continued operating it.

Attorneys for the theme park have consistently defended the X2 in court when sued by riders or their families over injuries, arguing that a sign warns passengers that “there are inherent risks in the participation in or on any amusement ride or attraction.”

Witnesses describe seeing man fall and hit rollercoaster car three times

Six Flags announced yesterday that it was temporarily closing nine rides at its parks across the country, after a man died in a roller coaster incident at an amusement park in Georgia.

Police did not say how the man died or how many people were injured, but witnesses say a man fell from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, around 10 miles west of downtown Atlanta.

One witness told CNN affiliate WXIA that the man “fell and hit the car three different times” before falling onto the roof of a haunted house attraction below.

A different witness told WXIA the man fell onto a girl two rows ahead of her. She said that the man appeared to be on the ride with his son, while his wife and daughter were watching from the ground.

A couple who were also on the Goliath told WXIA they saw the man strike the coaster three times.

Rahim Hakmati, a Six Flags Over Georgia season ticket holder, told CNN he heard someone say a person had fallen off Goliath. When he approached the ride, he saw security directing people away from the roller coaster, which had stopped on the lift hill.

Eventually, he and other guests were evacuated from the park.

Local authorities working with partners on investigation into death at Six Flags

Local authorities will work closely with Six Flags and other partners in investigating the death of a man at an amusement park in Georgia yesterday.

“A terrible tragedy occurred today at Six Flags Over Georgia. One person has died, and others were injured,” Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.

Local police officers responded immediately to the incident, Cupid said, adding that a Major Crimes Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

“Six Flags Over Georgia is a significant part of our tourism landscape, drawing visitors from across our county, our state, and the Southeast,” she said, noting that authorities would release more information as it is confirmed.

We’ll bring you the latest developments as we get them.

• 事故发生后游乐设施关闭：六旗游乐园表示，在佐治亚州一家游乐园发生过山车事故，造成一名男子死亡、多人受伤后，已暂时关闭全国九个游乐设施。

• 目击者称：一名目击者告诉CNN附属电视台WXIA，受害者从“歌利亚”过山车上坠落，“撞击车厢三次”后，落到下方鬼屋的屋顶上。官方尚未公布该男子及其他受害者的身份。

• CNN 调查：两周前，加州六旗魔术山宣布将永久关闭其举世闻名的游乐设施 X2，此前 CNN 的一项调查记录了有关该设施造成终身伤害和死亡的报道。

CNN对六旗乐园多年来的伤亡事件进行了调查。

此外，在佐治亚州事件发生之前，六旗乐园于 9 月份宣布计划永久关闭其最著名的过山车之一。

大约一个月前，CNN 的一项调查揭露了与该游乐设施相关的长期存在的、足以改变人生的伤亡事件。

十多年来，一直有关于 X2 过山车造成乘客受伤的指控，但这些指控基本上都被掩盖了，直到 CNN 的调查揭露了十几起与该过山车相关的受伤和住院报告，其中包括至少两起死亡事件。

7 月，两名女子在相隔仅 6 天的时间里乘坐 X2 过山车后，因脑损伤被送往圣克拉里塔同一家急诊室。

9 月份提起的三起诉讼中，三名今年遭受危及生命的伤害的乘客（包括 26 岁的 Naomi Greer-Wilkinson，她目前仍处于昏迷状态）声称，六旗游乐园有充分的理由知道该游乐设施存在危险，不应该继续运营它。

当乘客或其家人因 X2 过山车受伤而起诉该过山车时，主题公园的律师一直坚持在法庭上为其辩护，辩称有标志警告乘客“参与任何游乐设施或景点都存在固有风险”。

目击者称看到一名男子摔倒并三次撞到过山车车厢。

昨天，六旗游乐园宣布暂时关闭其在全国各地公园的九个游乐设施，此前一名男子在佐治亚州一家游乐园的过山车事故中丧生。

警方没有透露该男子的死因或受伤人数，但目击者称，一名男子从位于亚特兰大市中心以西约 10 英里处的佐治亚州六旗乐园的“歌利亚”过山车上坠落。

一名目击者告诉 CNN 附属电视台 WXIA，该男子“摔倒并三次撞到汽车”，然后掉到下面鬼屋景点的屋顶上。

另一位目击者告诉WXIA电视台，这名男子摔倒在一名坐在她前面两排的女孩身上。她说，这名男子当时似乎带着儿子一起乘坐游乐设施，而他的妻子和女儿则在地面上观看。

当时也在“歌利亚”过山车上的一对夫妇告诉 WXIA 电视台，他们看到这名男子三次撞击过山车。

持有佐治亚州六旗乐园季票的拉希姆·哈克马蒂告诉CNN，他听到有人说有人从“歌利亚”过山车上摔了下来。当他走近过山车时，看到保安人员正在疏导人们远离过山车，而过山车已经停在了提升坡上。

最终，他和公园里的其他游客都被疏散了。

地方当局正与合作伙伴共同调查六旗乐园发生的死亡事件

当地政府将与六旗集团及其他合作伙伴密切合作，调查昨天在佐治亚州一家游乐园发生的男子死亡事件。

科布县委员会主席丽莎·丘比特表示：“今天在佐治亚州六旗乐园发生了一起可怕的悲剧。一人死亡，多人受伤。”

丘比特表示，当地警方立即对事件做出了反应，并补充说，重大犯罪调查组正在调查该男子死亡的情况。

“佐治亚州六旗乐园是我们旅游业的重要组成部分，吸引了来自我们县、我们州以及整个东南部的游客，”她说道，并指出有关部门将在确认后发布更多信息。

我们会在第一时间为您带来最新进展。