Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently shut down its X2 roller coaster in Valencia, California, following a surge of lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries and mounting safety scrutiny after nearly two decades of operation.
Six Flags Pulls the Plug on X2 After Two Decades
Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently shut down its embattled X2 rollercoaster in Valencia, California, as past riders came forward with allegations of serious injuries. Park President Brian Oerding confirmed the decision in an operational update, noting that the attraction had been closed since mid-July.
The ride first debuted at the theme park in 2002, billed as the world’s first fourth-dimension roller coaster. It reopened in 2008 as X2, featuring new trains and special effects alongside 360-degree rotating seats.
Oerding addressed the public controversy surrounding the ride’s permanent retirement in a company blog post, emphasizing that safety remains central to the amusement park’s operations even as guest confidence waered.
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.
Brian Oerding, Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President
Brain Injury Lawsuits and Escalating Legal Pressure
Legal pressure on the amusement park intensified after investigative reporting revealed severe injuries linked to the ride, including brain hemorrhages suffered by two visitors in July. Among them was 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, who collapsed immediately after stepping off the ride and remains hospitalized in a semi-conscious state on a ventilator.
Attorneys Gary Dordick and Christopher Bulone filed three new civil lawsuits on behalf of riders left with traumatic brain injuries. Another plaintiff, Pamela Guillen, visited the park in July for her daughter’s 16th birthday and underwent emergency brain surgery.
Legal representatives state that more than 300 people have reached out with injury complaints, with attorneys representing more than 100 additional clients alleging brain damage. Plaintiffs’ attorneys argue that biomedical engineering experts deemed the ride inherently dangerous due to extreme forces and design variables known to the park for years.
Wrongful Death Settlement and Prior Tragedy
Before announcing the permanent closure, Six Flags reached a settlement agreement with the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley following a wrongful-death lawsuit. Hawley, a San Diego State University graduate, died in June 2022 one day after riding X2.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, Hawley’s death was ruled an accident caused by blunt head trauma sustained on the ride. Treating surgeons compared his internal brain rupture to shaken baby syndrome resulting from violent, aggressive jolts.
Brent Wisner, an attorney representing the Hawley family, noted that while the closure is welcome, it does not erase the past danger.
Ongoing Investigations and Uncertain Next Steps
Attorneys for injured riders maintain that retiring the attraction resolves future safety risks but leaves past victims without adequate corporate accountability.
Closing the ride protects future guests, and we welcome that. But it does nothing for the people who have already been hurt.
Gary Dordick, attorney representing injured riders
Theme park representatives have not disclosed what replacement attraction, if any, will eventually take the place of the retired coaster, leaving the future footprint of the Valencia site open as active litigation proceeds through the courts.