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Six Flags will add seat belts to Raging Bull at Great America after a rider's death on a similar Georgia coaster
The Gurnee roller coaster has been closed since a man was ejected from Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia on Oct. 12, and the company has set no date to reopen it.
Prairie Record, published
Six Flags will add seat belts to the Raging Bull roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, more than two weeks after a man was killed when he was ejected from a coaster with the same kind of restraint at the company’s Georgia park.1, 2
The belts will supplement the padded lap restraints already on the ride, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.1 A company spokesperson said Monday that Raging Bull is one of three coasters getting them, along with Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.1
Six Flags CEO and President John Reilly said in a letter Friday that the upgrade would go on every ride that uses the same restraint as Goliath, CBS News Chicago reported.2 “We are reinforcing safety precautions at our parks and taking additional measures,” Reilly wrote.2
The company also said independent engineers and ride inspection specialists will review safety procedures across its parks.1 “Our focus remains on supporting and cooperating with the ongoing state investigation while taking meaningful actions to further strengthen safety across our parks,” the spokesperson told the Sun-Times.1
No reopening date
Raging Bull has been closed since the Georgia accident.1, 2 Six Flags shut down at least nine similar rides after the death, CBS News Chicago reported, and has not set a date to reopen them.2 The spokesperson said Raging Bull will reopen after the changes are made and safety checks are complete.1
Raging Bull opened in 1999 and is the tallest and longest coaster at the Gurnee park.1 It stands 202 feet tall, runs 5,057 feet and reaches speeds of up to 73 miles an hour, according to the Sun-Times.1
The Georgia accident
Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, a 42-year-old Atlanta man, was ejected from Goliath on Oct. 12 and died, according to police in Cobb County, Georgia, the Sun-Times reported.1 Police said preliminary findings indicate he struck other riders before falling beneath the ride.1 Four children were also hurt and taken to hospitals, CBS News Chicago reported.2
Investigators have not said what went wrong, and that investigation is continuing.1, 2 Some people who rode Goliath earlier that day said they had concerns about its restraints, according to CBS News Chicago.2
Written by AI. This story was researched and written by an AI system from the 2 sources listed below, and published after an automated check that it rests on a government document or two independent news organizations.
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