Six Flags permanently closes X2 rollercoaster amid injury allegations

Six Flags has permanently closed its X2 rollercoaster at Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, after riders alleged serious brain injuries, including hemorrhages. The park says the ride passed safety tests but that closing it is “the right thing to do.”

X2, whose seats rotate 360 degrees, had been shut since July. The Guardian reported that the rollercoaster reached speeds of up to 76 mph (122 km/h). Announcing the permanent closure on Tuesday, Magic Mountain Park President Brian Oerding acknowledged that the controversy had affected guests’ confidence.

“While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do,” Oerding wrote in a blog post. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”

The allegations drew wider attention after a CNN investigation in August found that two riders had suffered brain hemorrhages in July, according to The Guardian. One of them, Los Angeles resident Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, remains hospitalized in a semi-conscious state, her lawyers Gary Dordick and Christopher Bulone told the newspaper. The Guardian also reported that CNN found at least two deaths allegedly linked to X2.

Accounts of how many people have come forward differ. The BBC reported that Dordick Law Corporation had been contacted by hundreds of people who believed the ride caused their injuries. Bulone and Dordick said more than 100 people had said they were injured, according to The Guardian, which reported that the lawyers filed three new civil lawsuits. In court documents, the attorneys called X2 “defective” and accused the park of failing to adequately warn riders about risks of head and brain injuries.

“They got on X2 expecting a thrill. Instead, they left with catastrophic brain injuries,” Dordick Law Corporation said in a statement reported by the BBC. “Some needed emergency brain surgery. Some are still fighting to get their lives back.” The firm welcomed the closure as protection for future guests but said it came “too late” for its clients and “does nothing for the people who have already been hurt.”

The family of Christopher Hawley, 22, who died after riding X2 in 2022, settled a wrongful death suit with the park in August, the BBC reported. Brent Wisner, an attorney for the family, said they were relieved by the closure but believed Hawley had been killed by the ride. “That tragedy cannot be undone,” he said, calling for legal reform, proactive regulation and government oversight.

The ride opened as X in 2002 and later underwent repairs and replacement of its trains before reopening as X2 in 2008, according to the BBC. Six Flags said more than 16 million guests rode it after that reopening. Oerding thanked the employees who operated and maintained the rollercoaster and acknowledged its following among enthusiasts.