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Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem died on Monday after police say he was ejected from a ride at a Six Flags amusement park in Georgia.
The Cobb County Police Department said the incident at the Six Flags Over Georgia park happened just before 16:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Monday.
"Preliminary information gathered through witness and employee interview indicates Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction."
Officials have not held a news conference on the incident.
The Goliath ride opened in 2006, and it has an elevation of 200ft (60m), a 170ft plunge, a 540-degree spiral, and a speed of up to 70mph (112km/h), according to the park website.
The company said in a statement that it was "deeply saddened by the guest incident" and that "our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the guest's family, friends, and loved ones".
Nick Mendenhall said he witnessed the fatal moments in disbelief, watching the man come out of his seat and then fall into another cart on the ride before falling to the ground.
One witness told NBC affiliate WXIA that the incident was captured in souvenir photos that were automatically taken of the rollercoaster while it was in motion.
The BBC has not been able to verify this statement.
Connor Thompson told the BBC's US partner CBS News that he was in line for the ride when everyone started "yelling, clearly distressed".
"At first it was almost like I didn't believe it because I thought that was like impossible for something like that to happen."
Another witness, CiCi Nelson, told CNN she, too, was in line to ride the Goliath when the rollercoaster returned and she saw an empty seat with a loose safety bar and a female covered in blood.
Nelson described a scene of hysteria, adding that one man was "freaking out, saying someone fell off".
Brittany Landry, who believed she saw Kariem ejected from the rollercoaster, told Fox News she was in tears.
Kariem's family said he was a father, passionate educator and had survived two bouts of cancer.
His family told WXIA that he had survived cancer twice - the last stint in 2018 - and was in a car crash with his 10-year-old daughter three weeks before his death.
"Mr. Kariem was deeply loved and respected, and his absence will be felt throughout our school community," the school said in a statement posted to its Facebook account.
Outside of work, Kariem enjoyed creating products with his laser engraver and 3D printers, as well as cooking, watching anime and spending time with family and friends, according to his profile on the school's website.
The death at Six Flags Over Georgia is at least the seventh there, according to the Doan Law Firm, which tracks amusement park accidents and represents victims.
According to the firm, this includes two people who had medical emergencies, two who were in restricted areas when they were struck by a ride, two who died in car-related accidents and one who died months after using the park's pool.
In September, the Six Flags Magic Mountain park in California announced it was closing its X2 rollercoaster after more 100 people alleged that they had suffered brain injuries from the ride.