Six Flags is adding seat belts to its towering Goliath roller coaster after a beloved father plunged to his death during a horrifying ride.
Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly announced the added safety measure on Friday, following the Oct. 12 death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, who fell from the 200-foot-tall thrill ride at Six Flags Over Georgia.
The Atlanta teacher was riding the massive coaster when he was suddenly hurled from the speeding attraction, according to police and witness accounts.
In a particularly gruesome account, one eyewitness claimed Kariem struck the cars of the coaster three times as he fell, leaving stunned riders screaming and covered in blood.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Four kids injured in the accident were rushed to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to cops.
The terrifying Goliath ride, which lasts about 3.5 minutes, reaches speeds of roughly 70 mph and towers 200 feet above the park.
At the time of the incident, riders were secured by padded, U-shaped “clamshell” lap bars that lock across their thighs — rather than seat belts.
The shocking tragedy has now prompted Six Flags to announce additional safety precautions, including seat belts on Goliath and other coasters equipped with similar restraints.
“What happened has deeply affected all of us at Six Flags,” Reilly wrote in a press release after the horrific accident, stressing that the company’s commitment to safety demands “constant vigilance and determination to continually improve.”
“We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures, including adding seat belts on Goliath and other coasters with a similar restraint,” he announced.
“I know trust is earned through actions and not words. As CEO of Six Flags, I take that responsibility personally.”
While the Georgia amusement park is currently open, Goliath has been shuttered “pending necessary safety reviews and clearances,” the CEO announced.
“We have engaged independent engineers and ride inspection specialists to comprehensively review current safety procedures across our entire portfolio of rides and attractions, across all of our parks,” Reilly said.
Reilly added that eight additional rides at five other parks were also closed “out of an abundance of caution.”
“Our hearts remain with the family and loved ones of Hassan Kariem, those injured, and everyone impacted by the tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia,” he said.
