Six Flags Magic Mountain closes X2 permanently as brain injury lawsuits mount

Six Flags Magic Mountain is permanently retiring X2, its famed rotating roller coaster, following months of scrutiny over allegations of serious brain injuries linked to the ride.

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Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding announced the closure on Tuesday. 

“We recognize the special place X2 holds in the coaster community, and we are grateful to our team members who operated and maintained it throughout its run,” Oerding said.

X2 first opened as X in 2002 before Six Flags redesigned and relaunched the coaster under its current name in 2008. The 200-foot-tall coaster, which Six Flags previously described as a “fifth dimension” ride, sent riders through dives, flips and twists at speeds of up to 76 mph while its seats rotated independently as much as 360 degrees. 

Oerding noted that although X2 had consistently passed safety tests, concerns from guests had affected “confidence” in the ride.

“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 said. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”

X2 had already been closed since July 12. 

The announcement comes a week after attorneys with Dordick Law Corporation said they filed three lawsuits alleging riders suffered catastrophic brain injuries after riding on X2, and that the firm had been retained by more than 100 additional people alleging traumatic brain injuries from the coaster. 

The three lawsuits include cases brought by Pamela Guillen and Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, who suffered massive intracranial hemorrhages after riding X2 six days apart in July, according to their complaints. Guillen underwent multiple brain surgeries after riding the coaster July 5, while Greer-Wilkinson underwent emergency neurosurgery after riding July 11 and remained minimally conscious when her lawsuit was filed.

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The third lawsuit was filed by Michael Wilk, an attorney who alleges his head repeatedly struck his seat’s headrest while riding X2 in February. Months later, doctors discovered extensive bleeding and swelling in his brain, and Wilk underwent two craniotomies, according to the complaint.

In an Aug. 27 investigation, CNN reported that X2 had been linked to more than a dozen serious injuries and hospitalizations over nearly two decades. The outlet reviewed medical records, depositions and court filings documenting riders who suffered brain injuries, including two who later died. 

One was Christopher Hawley, 22, who died in June 2022 after suffering severe brain bleeding following a ride on X2. His parents sued Six Flags Magic Mountain and roller coaster maker S&S Worldwide, alleging the coaster caused his fatal head injury.

The Hawley family settled with Six Flags and S&S Worldwide in August before the case went to trial, according to KTTV. Six Flags and S&S denied liability, and the settlement did not include a finding that X2 was defective or that either company caused Hawley’s death.