ATLANTA — The death of Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday became a topic of a political debate during Tuesday night’s Atlanta Press Club events.
Kariem, an educator at Atlanta Public Schools’ Wesley International Academy, tragically died after falling off of the Goliath ride at Six Flags on Monday afternoon, striking other passengers on the ride while falling to the ground.
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During the Atlanta Press Club debate between incumbent Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King and Democratic challenger former Georgia State Rep. Keisha Sean Waites, the debate moderator asked how Waites would have handled the “scrutiny over the last 24 hours” related to safety policies and inspections.
Waites said she would have ensured more timely inspections, as the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire is charged with the regulations, permitting and inspections of amusement parks.
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With Six Flags Over Georgia expected to open as normal on Friday, Waites said she would ensure all rides are reinspected thoroughly were she the current insurance commissioner.
The candidate also said that she would work to “make sure that this will never happen again in the state of Georgia.”
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As the current commissioner, King agreed that investigating these theme park rides is a primary safety duty of the office.
In response to the death on Monday, OCI has already tasked investigators with inspecting the park rides.
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“Our very professional inspectors have inspected every one of those before the park season even started,” King said. “They’re currently on the ground looking at every nook and cranny, conducting interviews and conducting a thorough review of what happened.”
King said it was premature to make “a whole lot of comments” about the process, but said he looked forward to reporting the rides were safe to the public.
“I look forward to being able to report back to the Georgia public that these rides are safe,” King said. “They will continue to be safe, and we will continue inspecting them from top to bottom.”
The debate moderator shared his, and the community’s, condolences to Kariem’s family, who had gathered at Six Flags on Monday to celebrate his niece’s birthday.
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