The family of the Six Flags roller coaster victim’s niece is speaking out in a new interview after she witnessed her uncle’s harrowing death during a ride at a Six Flags amusement park in Georgia.
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was at the Six Flags park with several family members to celebrate his niece’s birthday and was sitting beside his niece when he was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster, a relative told ABC News.
“He said that this was one of his favorite rides and how excited he was to be there,” Joshua Nelson, Kariem’s brother-in-law and father of Kariem’s niece, told ABC News Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV.
Nelson recounted his daughter’s retelling of the events in the interview.
Hassan Kariem is seen in a photo from his Facebook page.
“They went up and down, up and down, up and down and she said it went up again and his latch, I guess, snapped or came loose and he fell,” Nelson said.
According to the outlet, Nelson said he hopes that Kariem did not feel pain.
Nelson also shared a question he still has about the tragic event.
“A large part of me does believe, you know, it was a freak accident, but the other part of me questions… could this have been prevented?” Nelson said.
Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King said his department is conducting the investigation “with the urgency, diligence, and unwavering commitment to public safety that this tragedy demands.”
The state’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, which is responsible for the safety of amusement park rides in Georgia, said it is “actively investigating” the incident.
A Six Flags spokesperson said that the “park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation.”
The manufacturer of the Goliath coaster, Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, said, “We are actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened.”
No cause for the incident has been released.
Nelson described Kariem as having a “pure heart” in the interview.
Kariem worked for the Atlanta Public Schools, a spokesperson for the school district confirmed Tuesday, calling him a “cherished member of the Wesley International Academy.”
His “presence and impact will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with everyone mourning his loss during this difficult time.”
Kariem was the IT manager, a technology teacher and robotics coach at Wesley International Academy, where he had worked for over 12 years, according to the school.
ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.
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