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Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently retired the X2 rollercoaster following two deaths and three lawsuits alleging severe brain injuries. The ride has been closed since July 12 after Naomi Greer-Wilkinson remained in a coma following the attraction and Pamela Guillen suffered a severe subdural hematoma and brain compression.
Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 rollercoaster: Ride ‘permanently retired’ after alleged brain injuries, deaths The ‘ultimate daredevil’ ride has not operated since two riders had brain surgery within days of each other, one of whom remains in a coma.
The X2 Rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, has been closed since July 12, after two people underwent brain surgery within days of each other after riding the rollercoaster. In its fraught history, two people have died after riding the rollercoaster, Hildar Farias in 2010 and Christopher Hawley in 2022. The X2 rollercoaster, which opened in 2002, advertises itself as a “rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil” on Six Flags Magic Mountain’s website.
As it travels more than 1.1 kilometres, the “fifth-dimension wing rollercoaster” reaches a top speed of 122.3 kilometres an hour and an elevation of almost 61 metres.
“Feel your sense of direction disappear as you fly through an unreal assortment of dives, flips and twists plus two ultra-rare ‘raven turns’ — half loops that change their minds midway and become sheer drops,” the website reads. “To make things even better, your 360° seat extends on wings far off the track, so your body will be flipping around the entire time.
Last week, three lawsuits were filed against Six Flags, with three individuals claiming they suffered “catastrophic brain damage” from the ride. Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, has been in a coma since riding the rollercoaster in July and undergoing brain surgery. Her visit came six days after another incident which saw Pamela Guillen suffer a severe subdural haematoma and brain compression.
The third lawsuit was filed by Michael Wilk, who said he has had multiple brain surgeries and suffered brain bleeding after boarding the ride in February. Dodrick Law Corporation said they had been contacted by about 400 people who alleged they were injured from the ride, theThe closure was announced by Six Flags Magic Mountain Park president Brian Oerding in a statement shared on their website.
Mr Oerding said that since opening in 2008, more than 16 million people had boarded the rollercoaster.
“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,” he continued. “Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously. “Our purpose is to create FUN, thrills and a lifetime of memories by creating unforgettable experiences that are underpinned by comprehensive safety policies.
” “Six Flags knew years ago that X2 was putting people at grave risk and chose to continue gambling with their lives anyway,” they said.
“This should have happened long before Naomi’s brain injury but we’re happy to hear that now finally no one else’s daughter or sister will ever be hurt on this ride again. ”“I’m relieved that X2 is closing for good,” she said.
“I never should have been hurt, and neither should the others who were. … I also hope Six Flags will put better safety and inspection measures in place across all of its parks and rides. ” Brent Wisner, an attorney representing the family of Mr Hawley, who died in 2022, said the closure was a relief.
He told the BBC the family was “relieved to hear that Six Flags is finally closing the X2, it does not change the fact that Christopher Hawley was killed by a dangerous roller coaster that was allowed to operate for nearly two decades”.
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Six Flags Permanently Closes X2 Roller Coaster After Severe Injuries and Two DeathsSix Flags Magic Mountain has permanently retired its X2 roller coaster following two riders suffering severe brain injuries in July and two related deaths. Park president Brian Oerding said the ride passed numerous safety tests but was closed to protect guest confidence. Pamela Guillen filed a lawsuit after becoming unconscious following an allegedly unusually rough ride, requiring emergency surgery for an acute subdural hematoma and suffering severe, permanent brain damage.
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