Southern California amusement park is pulling one of its most popular rides after a wave of brain injury lawsuits. Among the alleged victims is a 22-year-old man who died one day after riding the roller coaster in 2022. "Six Flags must assume responsibility," says one of the lawyers for those affected.

First modification: 03/10/2026 - 01:23

In the midst of multiple lawsuits for brain injuries, the Six Flags Mountain theme park, in Southern California, decided to close its legendary X2 roller coaster after almost 20 years of operation.

The amusement park's president, Brian Oerding, stated in a Sept. 29 statement that "while X2 consistently passed numerous safety tests," they decided to close the attraction because they believed it was "the right thing to do."

Six Flags Mountain and the maker of the

Although the case was settled in late August, just days before the trial was to begin, three other lawsuits filed in September revived allegations of traumatic brain injuries caused by the roller coaster.

The X2 has been closed since July 12, after two women who boarded it less than a week apart had to be rushed to hospital.

One of them is Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, who remains in a vegetative state, unable to speak or move and connected to a respirator. The young woman collapsed shortly after getting off the ride and was diagnosed with a massive brain hemorrhage that required emergency surgery. His family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags on his behalf.

Before her, Pamela Guillén and her family visited the park in July to celebrate her daughter's sixteenth birthday. They decided to go on the roller coaster, but when the attraction stopped, her daughter saw her "sitting with a lost look and her mouth open," confused and unable to get off, according to the complaint.

Consequently, she underwent emergency surgery that required doctors to remove part of her skull, her relatives explained to the press.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health remains under investigation into the attraction following the July incidents.

Hundreds of complaints: "Six Flags must take responsibility"

Naomi Greer-Wilkinson's lawyers said they have heard more than 100 cases of brain injuries caused by the X2 roller coaster in the last two years and that its closure does not mean the end of litigation.

"Closing the attraction protects future visitors, and we celebrate that. But it doesn't solve anything for the people who have already been injured," said attorney Gary Dordick, who argued that "Six Flags must take responsibility for them" since "it knew that these injuries and deaths had occurred, and still kept the attraction open."

The law firm Dordick Law Corporation, which filed some civil lawsuits against the park, put the number of victims of injuries attributed to the use of the attraction at 400.

The lawsuits allege that the X2 had design problems since its debut in 2002, when it was originally called the X.

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An investigation by the 'CNN' network published at the end of August showed that at least two other people died from injuries allegedly related to the attraction.

Despite all this, the president of Six Flags Mountain, Brian Oerding, stressed in the statement at the end of September that "the safety of the attractions is a fundamental pillar" of the amusement park and that the effects on "visitor trust" are taken "very seriously."

A speed of 122 km/h and 360 degree turns

The X2 roller coaster reaches a maximum speed of 122 km/h and has a total length of 1,100 meters. The seats rotate 360 ​​degrees, so the body is constantly spinning, according to the description on the Six Flags Magic Mountain website.

The attraction also has two spiral turns that become dizzying falls. The AP agency collected testimonies that suggest that the last of these turns is the most extreme part of the route.

Regular X2 users have commented on Reddit forums about the "unwritten rules" for enjoying the roller coaster without getting injured. Some report experiencing severe headaches and concussion-like sensations if they did not hold their head properly. One even mentioned that the last time he rode he wore a soft helmet.

"The design of this attraction makes it inherently dangerous, and it makes it dangerous in a way that no reasonable user would expect," attorney Christopher Bulone told reporters.

The attraction was inaugurated in 2002 under the name X, the world's first "fourth dimension" roller coaster. Six years later it became X2 after a remodeling that included new cars and special effects.

The uniqueness of the X2 attracted more than 16 million visitors from around the world, making it globally known, according to data from Six Flags Mountain.

With information from AP, Reuters, AFP and local media.

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