The Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park has decided to close the operations of the famous X2 roller coaster amid lawsuits alleging severe brain injuries caused by the ride.
The Southern California theme park announced on Tuesday (the 29th) that it is permanently closing the attraction after nearly 20 years.
Recently, Six Flags reached a settlement in a case of involuntary manslaughter filed by the family of a 22-year-old man who died after riding the roller coaster in 2022, and three more lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed last week.
“Although X2 has consistently passed a range of safety tests, we have decided to close the attraction because we believe it is the right thing to do,” said the park president, Brian Oerding, in an online statement. “The safety of our attractions is a core pillar of our business, and when we sense that visitors’ trust is shaken, we take that seriously.”
The attraction has been closed since the night of July 12, after two women who rode the roller coaster within less than a week of each other had to be rushed to the hospital after exiting the ride.
One of them, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, fainted shortly after the ride ended and was diagnosed with a severe intracranial hemorrhage, requiring emergency brain surgery. She remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator. Her family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags in her name.
Her lawyers said that more than 100 people have claimed brain injuries caused by the roller coaster in the past two years, and that more lawsuits would be filed in the coming weeks.
The park settled a case of involuntary manslaughter filed by the family of Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old man who died the day after riding X2. He was taken to the hospital after the ride with a severe brain hemorrhage. The medical examiner said his death was caused by a traumatic brain injury. The case was resolved in late August, just days before the scheduled start of the trial.
According to the Six Flags Magic Mountain site, the X2 roller coaster reaches a maximum speed of 122 km/h and has a total length of 1,100 meters. The seats rotate 360 degrees “so that your body keeps spinning the whole time,” and the ride features two “crow curves” — half-loops that turn into vertical drops mid-course.
It debuted at the park in 2002 under the name X, as the world’s first “fourth-dimensional” roller coaster, and was reopened in 2008 as X2, with new trains and special effects. The ride’s uniqueness drew thrill-seekers from around the world and won a fervent fan base.
*With information from the Associated Press (AP).
*This content was translated with the aid of AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team. Learn more in our AI Policy.
