Six Flags Magic Mountain Closes X2 Roller Coaster After Lawsuits

Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently closed its X2 roller coaster in Valencia, California, following a series of traumatic brain injury lawsuits and a recent wrongful-death settlement. Park officials stated the closure aims to protect guest confidence, despite the ride passing routine safety inspections prior to its shutdown.

Executive Strategic Takeaways

• Asset Retirement: Six Flags permanently retired the X2 coaster after nearly 20 years of operation, eliminating a thrill asset following mounting litigation.
• Litigation Exposure: The park faces multiple severe injury lawsuits, including a pending case where a rider suffered massive brain bleeding, alongside a settled wrongful-death suit.
• Brand Protection: Park President Brian Oerding cited preservation of guest confidence as the primary driver for the permanent shuttering, prioritizing corporate reputation over continued operation of the ride.

Litigation Pressure Triggers Permanent Closure of Attraction

Six Flags Magic Mountain announced the permanent retirement of its X2 roller coaster following an accumulation of severe personal injury lawsuits and a major wrongful-death settlement. The Southern California amusement park shuttered the attraction after nearly 20 years of operation. The decision follows a wrongful-death settlement finalized at the end of August with the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died from blunt head trauma after riding the coaster in 2022.

Legal pressure intensified when three additional lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed last week. Attorneys representing injured guests claim that over 100 people claimed they suffered brain injuries from the roller coaster in the past two years. The attraction had remained closed since the evening of July 12, when two separate female guests required emergency hospitalization within a single week.

Engineering Mechanics and Safety Records Under Scrutiny

Among those hospitalized was 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, who collapsed immediately following the ride and was found to have massive brain bleeding inside the skull requiring emergency surgery. She remains in a vegetative state in the hospital, unable to speak or move and dependent on a ventilator. The ride’s unique structural mechanics feature 360-degree rotating seats and two “raven turns,” which combine half-loops with sheer drops. The coaster reaches top speeds of 76 mph (122 km/h) across a 3,610-foot (1,100-meter) track.

X2 Roller Coaster Technical and Incident Profile

Metric	Specification / Status
Top Speed	76 mph (122 km/h)
Track Length	3,610 feet (1,100 meters)
Operational Span	2002–2024 (Originally debuted as X, reopened as X2 in 2008)
Recent Legal Actions	Wrongful-death settlement; 3 brain injury lawsuits filed

Park leadership defended the engineering standards of the shuttered installation while conceding that ongoing litigation necessitated a definitive operational pivot. “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,” park President Brian Oerding said in an online announcement. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.”

Balancing Capital Asset Value Against Brand Equity

The elimination of a tourist draw forces Six Flags to reassess its portfolio of attractions as liability risks mount. While the park maintains that engineering checks verified compliance with safety tests, the accumulation of medical cases shifted the corporate risk calculation. Management elected to sacrifice a legacy asset to insulate the broader brand from prolonged courtroom exposure and reputational damage.

As legal teams prepare additional filings in the coming weeks, the permanent loss of X2 sets a precedent for how park operators handle amusement engineering facing high-stakes tort claims. Protecting consumer trust has superseded the retention of thrill-seeking infrastructure, marking a turning point in operational risk management for large-scale theme park operators.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.