The X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California has been a magnet for controversy in recent years. While it opened way back on January 12, 2002, ever since a 22-year-old male rider reportedly sustained a fatal brain injury in 2022, dozens of other people have come forward with warnings and tales of injuries suffered on the ride.
Over a dozen allegations of significant injuries and hospitalizations related to the ride, including at least two fatalities, were uncovered in a CNN investigation last month. Now, over 100 people claim to have suffered traumatic brain injuries from riding the X2 coaster.
Six Flags “has been willingly gambling with people’s lives… No ride like that should be allowed to exist,” CNN reports civil attorney Christopher Bulone said at a news conference Tuesday, announcing the filing of three lawsuits this week.
Lawyers reported on Tuesday that they now represent over 100 individuals who claim to have suffered varied degrees of brain damage after riding the X2 roller coaster during the past two years. The lawyers also stated that they had heard from hundreds of additional riders who were either unable to file a lawsuit because of the statute of limitations, suffered injuries unrelated to the brain, or lacked documentation of medical treatment.
The experiences of riders included in CNN’s investigation were detailed in two lawsuits filed on Monday. They contend that Six Flags management should never have permitted the attraction to continue operating since they were well aware of its alleged dangers.
Six Flags Magic Mountain settled a lawsuit over the death of an X2 rider
A lawsuit filed on March 19, 2025, claimed that 22-year-old Christopher Hawley suffered fatal brain damage while riding X2 on June 23, 2022. According to the lawsuit, the ride was “very harsh, and riders jerked around like rag dolls,” until it “suddenly, abruptly, and violently jolted to a halt.”
Hawley allegedly complained of a headache and passed out after getting off the X2. The lawsuit claimed that although Christopher’s parents, Anne and William Hawley, said he was in perfect health prior to riding the coaster, a CT scan at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia revealed that he had suffered a catastrophic right subdural hematoma. He passed away the next day.
Six Flags Magic Mountain denied the lawsuit, which was revised from a previous complaint filed in 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“We want to make sure that ride isn’t going to kill somebody else,” KTLA News reported William Hawley said. “They won’t explain to us what happened. They’ve essentially gone dark. The only way we’ve been able to contact them is through our attorney.”
In August 2026, Christopher Hawley’s family reached a settlement with Six Flags Magic Mountain and ride manufacturer S&S Worldwide Inc. The settlement’s financial terms, conditions, and particulars have not been made public.
Three people recently required brain surgery after riding the X2 coaster
Two X2 roller coaster riders, 26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson and 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, recently required emergency brain surgery for severe traumatic brain injuries after losing consciousness upon exiting the ride. According to an email examined by CNN, surgeons concluded that “a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration incident encountered while on the X2 ride” was the cause of their injuries. Greer-Wilkinson is still in a coma.
Michael Wilk, a lawyer from Los Angeles, filed a third lawsuit on Monday, claiming that after riding X2 in February, he experienced severe brain bleeding that necessitated several brain surgeries.
“My brain has difficulty processing the words, and so unless it’s extraordinarily clear and loud, my brain gets the word wrong. I think I miss about half the conversations I’m in,” he said. “I truly hope that by coming forward, changes will be made.”
Six Flags Magic Mountain closed the X2 coaster in July
Six Flags Magic Mountain closed the roller coaster on the evening of July 12, according to a park spokesperson. Although that was reportedly the day after the most recent injury, park officials have not said what caused the closure.
A point-of-view video shared by the YouTube channel Coaster Studios last year shows some of the violent movements the X2 roller coaster puts its riders through.