Six Flags Retires X2 Coaster
Six Flags Permanently Retires X2 Coaster Following Mounting Injury Lawsuits and Safety Concerns
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Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, has permanently retired X2, its rotating-seat roller coaster, which had been closed since July 12 after reports of serious injuries. The park said the ride consistently passed safety tests but cited guest confidence and its commitment to safety, without directly addressing the litigation. Lawsuits accuse Six Flags and manufacturer S&S Worldwide of design and safety failures; plaintiffs allege severe brain hemorrhages, and attorneys say more than 100 additional riders have reported possible brain injuries. The claims have not been proven in court, and some plaintiffs’ attorneys have questioned whether safety testing adequately measured the ride’s forces. Reporting has also linked earlier rides to deaths, including 22-year-old Christopher Hawley in 2022. First opened as X in 2002 and relaunched as X2 in 2008, the high-speed coaster drew more than 16 million riders and had a devoted following.
Key Points
1
CNN reported that Six Flags received at least 70 complaints of head and neck injuries involving X2 in the three years before Christopher Hawley’s 2022 death.
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The coaster’s July 12 closure followed an incident that was under investigation by state safety officials, according to the Orange County Register.
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Plaintiff Pamela Guillen said she became confused and disoriented after riding X2 and later woke in a hospital, where she learned she had undergone emergency brain surgery.
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X2 was about 200 feet tall and reached 76 mph, with 360-degree rotating seats; its track stretched roughly 3,600 feet, according to the Orange County Register.
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A Six Flags spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuits earlier in September, saying, “It is our policy not to comment on pending litigation.”
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