Six Flags will DEMOLISH notorious X2 rollercoaster after thrill ride was accused of killing one man and injuring multiple others
Six Flags Magic Mountain has announced the permanent closure and demolition of its X2 roller coaster following numerous serious injuries and one death linked to the ride. The decision comes after the park settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a 22-year-old man who died in 2022, and as multiple additional lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries have recently been filed. Park officials stated that whilst the ride passed safety tests, they are closing it because guest confidence has been affected and ride safety remains their priority.
The X2, which operated for nearly 20 years, is a world-first fourth-dimension roller coaster that reaches speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour whilst flipping rider seats 360 degrees. The ride was shut down in July after two women required emergency hospitalisation within a week of riding it; one woman, aged 25, suffered massive brain bleeding and remains in a vegetative state. Attorneys claim over 100 riders have reported brain injuries from the coaster within the past two years, with additional lawsuits planned. The ride debuted in 2002 and was reimagined in 2008, attracting thrill-seekers worldwide due to its extreme intensity.
- Six Flags closing X2 coaster after death and numerous serious brain injuries
- Over 100 injury claims reported in past two years; multiple lawsuits filed
- Woman remains in vegetative state; man died in 2022 from ride injuries
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.