A person has died and several other people were injured in an incident involving a rollercoaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, police said.
The Cobb County Police Department said the incident took place at the park, which sits about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, on Monday afternoon. Detectives with the department's major crimes unit will investigate.
However, police have not yet confirmed how the person died or what caused the others to be injured.
A witness, who was onboard the ride, told 11Alive that they were sitting behind the man when the incident unfolded.
“A young Black male was ejected from the vehicle,” the witness said. “The vehicle hit him and then he flew back up again and it hit him again.”
“That’s when he was, I guess, flung from the ride,” he continued.
Another witness onboard the rollercoaster during the tragic incident revealed to 11Alive that the as-yet unnamed man hit the cart three times.
“He didn’t fall directly onto us. He fell onto a girl two rows in front of us,” she said. “He fell and hit the cart three different times.”
The witness added, “His son was sitting right beside him. His wife and daughter were not on the ride, they were at the bottom and had no idea.”
A Six Flags spokesperson said the park and local authorities responded immediately, and that they are fully cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the incident.
“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” the spokesperson said.
The Georgia incident follows other recent cases involving rollercoasters at major U.S. theme parks.
In September, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California announced it was permanently closing its famous X2 rollercoaster after nearly 20 years, amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injury caused by the ride.
The ride, which Six Flags once called “a rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil,” reached 76 mph and 200 feet, with 3,610 feet of track.
Six Flags recently settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the coaster in 2022.
“While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do,” Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding said in a statement posted to the park’s website.
“Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” he added.
Three more lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed last week.
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