Kings Island closes two rides after Georgia coaster death

State of play: Gorgon says there's no timeline for reopening the rides. Kings Island is operating on its fall schedule, opening Thursday through Sunday.

The latest: A man died at Six Flags Over Georgia after falling from a car on the Goliath roller coaster, local outlet WXIA reported, citing multiple eyewitness accounts.

• The cause remains under investigation.

The connection: Nine closed coasters across the Six Flags chain were built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, which also designed Goliath.

• Orion, Kings Island's tallest and fastest coaster, features a 300-foot drop and reaches 91 mph. Diamondback has a 215-foot drop and reaches 80 mph.
• The manufacturer tells Axios Kansas City it is investigating the Georgia incident and declined further comment.

Zoom out: Six Flags highlights its safety procedures on Kings Island's webpage, saying rides undergo daily employee inspections and regular reviews by independent firms, regulators and corporate safety teams.

• Employees receive safety and emergency training and are instructed to thoroughly evaluate problems before reopening rides.
• Gorgon declined to elaborate when asked about the potential for extra inspections this week.

By the numbers: Roller coasters in North America recorded 1.27 injuries per 1 million rides in 2024, per the National Safety Council.