Six Flags shuts down X2 rollercoaster after hundreds allege brain injuries

What the report says

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California says it will permanently close its X2 rollercoaster after lawsuits and media reports claimed hundreds of riders suffered brain injuries. The ride had already been shut since July, and the company said it had passed safety tests but was being retired because it was “the right thing to do.” Park president Brian Oerding said guest confidence and ride safety are central to the business.

According to the BBC’s report from Los Angeles, the closure follows civil cases filed by Dordick Law Corporation, which said it had heard from hundreds of people who believe the ride caused serious head injuries. The firm welcomed the shutdown as a step for future safety, while saying it does not help those who say they were already harmed. Six Flags has not publicly acknowledged the injury claims in the article, and the BBC notes the allegations come from lawsuits and news reporting.

The coaster, originally called X, first opened in 2002 but was closed soon after for design-related repairs, then reopened in 2008 as X2 after train changes. The park says more than 16 million people have ridden it. The decision also comes after a wrongful death case involving Christopher Hawley, who died after riding X2 in 2022; his family’s lawyer said the closure does not change what happened and called for stronger oversight of amusement rides.