Six Flags will DEMOLISH notorious X2 rollercoaster after thrill ride was accused of killing one man and injuring multiple others
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The new development is that Six Flags Magic Mountain has decided to permanently close and demolish its X2 roller coaster, after keeping it shut since July. The park said the ride had passed safety tests but that it was closing it because guest confidence had been affected; the decision follows a wrongful-death settlement and new injury lawsuits.
X2 operated for nearly 20 years and reached speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour while rotating riders’ seats through 360 degrees. A 22-year-old man died after riding it in 2022, and two women were taken to hospital after separate rides in July; one, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, suffered severe bleeding in her brain and remains in hospital on a ventilator. Her family and other riders are pursuing legal claims, while their lawyers say hundreds more people have reported suspected injuries.
- Six Flags will demolish X2 after nearly 20 years.
- The ride has been linked to a death and serious injury claims.
- The park says it passed safety tests but guest confidence was affected.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
When a ride has caused documented severe injuries including brain trauma and a fatality, when over 100 riders have reported injuries in recent years, and when the company itself has settled a wrongful-death lawsuit, there is a clear pattern warranting precaution. Even if the ride passed mechanical safety tests, the reality of human injury is unambiguous. Guest confidence has demonstrably diminished for rational reasons. Corporate responsibility means prioritising actual human welfare over continued operation, particularly when alternative rides offer thrills without equivalent documented harm. The cumulative evidence suggests the ride's unique design poses genuine risks that warrant closure.
The case against
Thrill rides carry inherent risks that riders accept voluntarily, and the X2 passed all official safety examinations. Serious incidents, whilst tragic, represent an infinitesimal fraction of the millions of riders over its twenty-year operation, and isolated adverse outcomes do not necessarily indicate systemic mechanical failure. Closing the ride based on litigation and reputational concerns rather than objective engineering data sets a troubling precedent for eliminating activities based on rare worst-case scenarios affecting tiny percentages of participants. People should retain the freedom to accept calculated risks, and society should distinguish between demonstrated defects and statistically unusual misfortunes.
Full account
Six Flags Magic Mountain, a prominent amusement park in Southern California, has announced the permanent closure of its X2 roller coaster following a mounting wave of injury allegations. The decision, revealed on Tuesday by park president Brian Oerding, marks the end of the ride's operation after nearly two decades of continuous service. The closure decision arrives amid multiple lawsuits claiming that riders have sustained serious neurological harm, as well as a settled wrongful-death case involving a young man who perished in 2022 following a ride experience.
The roster of alleged injuries has grown substantially in recent months. The ride remained operational until mid-July when two separate incidents within days of one another necessitated emergency medical interventions. One affected passenger, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, aged 25, developed catastrophic internal brain bleeding following her ride and required urgent surgical intervention. Her condition has since deteriorated such that she cannot communicate or move independently and relies entirely on life-support equipment. Legal representatives contend that more than 100 individuals have reported neurological injuries attributable to the attraction within the preceding two years, with additional litigation anticipated.
Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old, died in 2022 after riding the coaster alongside family members—a case that concluded with a financial settlement between his family and the theme park. Beyond this fatal case, plaintiffs including practising attorney Michael Wick have filed suit, citing incapacitating injuries affecting their ability to work and maintain normal life. Wick underwent two separate brain operations following his ride. Legal representatives have stated that, whilst hundreds of individuals contacted them describing injuries they attribute to X2, not all were eligible to pursue litigation due to time restrictions, the nature of their injuries, or insufficient medical documentation.
Despite confirming that X2 had successfully cleared comprehensive safety testing protocols, the park determined that removing the attraction aligned with its stated operational values. Oerding remarked that ride safety constituted a fundamental principle, and that declines in visitor confidence necessitated action. The attraction features 360-degree rotating seats propelling riders at speeds approaching 80 miles per hour. Since its reintroduction as X2 in 2008 (following modifications to the originally named X that debuted in 2002), the attraction has welcomed more than 16 million guests.
Legal counsel representing injured riders and the deceased's family expressed qualified satisfaction with the decision whilst highlighting its inadequacy for those already harmed. Attorneys contended that the park had prioritised profit over visitor welfare and called for regulatory reforms and increased governmental oversight. Representatives described the closure as something the park "should have done long ago," emphasising that whilst welcome for prospective riders, the decision cannot reverse the suffering already inflicted upon previous guests.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 specifies that only three X2 roller coasters exist worldwide (Valencia, China, and Japan), whilst Source 2 omits this detail
Source 1 emphasises attorney Gary Dordick's criticism of the park's assumption-of-risk legal argument, whereas Source 2 prioritises attorney Brent Wisner's calls for legal reform and regulatory oversight
Source 2 references Los Angeles Times reporting on the ride's 2002 closure for design flaws, which Source 1 does not mention
Source 1 names Michael Wick as an attorney-plaintiff and details his career impact, whilst Source 2 provides less specific information about individual plaintiffs
Source 2 emphasises the ride's popularity through references to 'long wait times', whereas Source 1 focuses more on injury volume and operational timeline
Source 2 places greater emphasis on the law firm's statement that closure comes 'too late' for those already injured, making this theme more prominent than in Source 1
More coverage