Six Flags Great America’s Raging Bull roller coaster in Gurnee will have seat belts for riders following a crash involving a similar ride at Six Flags Over Georgia, where a 42-year-old man died after being ejected from a similar coaster.
Raging Bull is one of three Six Flags roller coasters that will add seat belts, along with the Nitro ride at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and the Goliath at the Georgia park, a company spokesperson said Monday.
The company also says it will have independent engineers and ride inspection specialists review safety procedures across its parks.
“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 said.
No date has been set to reopen the Raging Bull ride. The ride will reopen after all of the work that's needed and the reviews to ensure its safety are completed, the spokesperson said.
Raging Bull opened in 1999. The tallest and longest roller coaster at the Gurnee amusement park, it stands 202 feet tall, spans 5,057 feet and hits speeds of up to 73 miles an hour.
In the incident Oct. 12 at Six Flags Over Georgia, an Atlanta man, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was ejected from Goliath and died, according to the Cobb County, Georgia, police, which said its preliminary findings were that indicated he struck other patrons before falling beneath the ride. Its investigation hasn't been finished.
