"Mr. Cream" beat cancer, survived a car crash — and was killed on the roller coaster: "He was ejected, as if he floated in the air"

Hassan Jihad Ibn Cream, a 42-year-old teacher from Atlanta, was killed after falling from the "Goliath" roller coaster at Six Flags in Georgia, in front of his wife, daughter and son who sat beside him. Cream, who twice beat cancer and survived a car crash three weeks earlier, came loose from his seat, struck the cars and passengers, and fell to his death. The investigation is examining a technical failure or human error.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Cream, a 42-year-old technology teacher and robotics coach from Atlanta, was killed on Monday afternoon after falling from the "Goliath" roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta. Cream sat beside his young son, while his wife and daughter watched from the ground. Eyewitnesses described how he came loose from his seat, "floated in the air", struck the cars and passengers at least three times, and finally fell onto the roof of a haunted house attraction. The coaster, which rises 61 meters and travels at 112 km/h, was shut down. The Six Flags chain closed nine similar rides at other parks in the US and Canada out of "an abundance of caution". Cream, who twice beat cancer (most recently in 2018) and survived a serious car crash three weeks earlier together with his daughter, joined a Facebook group of roller coaster enthusiasts in March. The investigation is focusing on the Clamshell restraint mechanism, which does not include separate safety belts. An expert noted that the system is reliable and has a mechanical backup, but a critic who rode the coaster earlier on the day of the disaster claimed the safety bars did not provide a sufficient sense of stability. The disaster raises questions about federal oversight of amusement rides in the US, especially in light of a CNN investigation from August about a ride approved despite warnings.