Six Flags permanently retires X2 roller coaster amid brain injury lawsuits

Wednesday 30 September 2026 - 19:45

By: Azzat Manal

Six Flags permanently retires X2 roller coaster amid brain injury lawsuits

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California has permanently retired its famous X2 roller coaster after nearly two decades of operation, following a series of lawsuits alleging that riders suffered serious brain injuries after using the attraction.

The decision was announced on September 29 by Brian Oerding, president of Six Flags Magic Mountain. He said the ride had repeatedly passed safety tests but that the park had decided to remove it after taking concerns over visitor confidence and safety seriously.

X2 had been closed since July 12, following two separate incidents involving women who were hospitalized after riding the attraction within days of each other. One of them, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and required emergency surgery, according to her family's lawsuit. Her case has become one of the central legal disputes surrounding the ride.

Lawyers representing injured riders have said that more than 100 people have reported alleged brain injuries associated with X2 in recent years. Several lawsuits have been filed against Six Flags and the ride's manufacturer, raising allegations concerning the attraction's design and the forces experienced by passengers during the ride. These claims remain subject to legal proceedings and have not been established as facts by a court.

The controversy intensified after three additional lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed in September. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs have argued that the ride's movements and design could expose passengers to dangerous forces, while Six Flags has maintained that the attraction underwent regular safety inspections.

The park's decision also follows the settlement of a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old man who died in 2022 after suffering a serious brain injury following a ride on X2. The case was settled in August, although the terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.

California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health is conducting an investigation into the attraction following the incidents reported in July. The investigation remains ongoing, meaning the full circumstances surrounding the reported injuries have not yet been conclusively determined.

First introduced in 2002 under the name X, the attraction was marketed as the world's first fourth-dimension roller coaster. It was redesigned and reopened as X2 in 2008, featuring seats capable of rotating 360 degrees independently of the track.

The ride became one of Six Flags Magic Mountain's signature attractions, combining high-speed movements, steep drops and rotating passenger seats. Since its reopening as X2, the attraction had welcomed more than 16 million visitors, according to Six Flags.

X2 could reach speeds of about 76 mph, or approximately 122 kilometers per hour, and its rotating seats were designed to create a different orientation for riders during the course of the journey. Its unusual design helped establish it as one of the park's most recognizable attractions.

The permanent closure marks the end of a long chapter for an attraction that had developed a strong following among roller-coaster enthusiasts. For the families involved in the lawsuits, however, the decision does not resolve the legal claims concerning injuries allegedly suffered on the ride.

Six Flags has emphasized that the closure was a decision concerning future guest safety and confidence, while the outstanding lawsuits and regulatory investigation will determine how the allegations surrounding X2 are addressed.