Six Flags has announced it will close a popular roller coaster after scores of riders reported brain injuries.
"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," Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President Brian Oerding posted on Six Flags' corporate website. "Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously."
The Los Angeles-area coaster has been closed since July, when two riders reportedly suffered brain injuries on the ride, days apart, according to lawsuits. An investigation by CNN showed more than a dozen of other riders reported similar injuries over the past two decades, including a number of life-changing
disabilities and at least two deaths.
Southern California-based Dordick Law Corp. has filed multiple lawsuits on behalf of park visitors who say they were injured, and said they represent more than 100 people who were hurt after boarding the ride.
Six Flags previously referred USA TODAY to the company’s ride safety webpage but declined further comment due to pending litigation. According to the company’s website, Six Flags’ safety program includes independent third-party ride inspection, insurance inspectors, Six Flags engineering and corporate safety experts, and international ride operator training and evaluations.
X2 stats
Six Flags Magic Mountain described X2 as "a rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil" with a top speed of 76 mph, a height of 200 feet and 3,610 feet of track.
"To make things even better, your 360-degree seat extends on wings far off the track, so your body will be flipping around the entire time," according to the park's website.
Oerding said X2 had welcomed more than 16 million guests and "earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts" since its debut in 2008.
Colleagues noticed lawyer’s changes after ride
Lawsuits lay out a timeline accusing Six Flags of knowing the ride has hurt visitors and then failing to alert the public to potential injury risks.
Among those suing Six Flags is Patrick Plumlee, whose lawsuit was filed on Sept. 10. Plumlee, who is represented by Dordick Law Corp., rode the X2 in September 2024 and was "violently thrown around," the lawsuit reads. Plumlee’s head banged against the headrest, leading to a traumatic brain injury, the suit alleges.
Park visitor and lawyer Michael Wilk made similar complaints in his lawsuit, filed on Sept. 21, in which he said he visited Six Flags in February 2026 with his daughter and grandchildren. During the X2 ride, his "head began slamming violently against the headrest of his seat," according to the lawsuit. Once he got off the ride, he felt sick, had a stabbing pain in his head, felt fuzzy and had trouble walking, the suit says.
Wilk said he thought his symptoms would go away on their own, but as weeks went by, colleagues noticed "a continuing decline in his cognitive function and became alarmed." They encouraged him to see a doctor. He then underwent a brain MRI, which revealed that he had intracranial bleeding, swelling and a shift of the brain.
Doctors performed an emergency embolization procedure, but it didn't stop the bleeding. He had to undergo two separate surgeries to relieve the pressure the bleeding was causing on his brain. He still has headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss and personality changes, he said in the lawsuit.
Daughter said mom had 'vacant stare and her mouth open' after ride
Pamela Guillen went to Six Flags on July 5, 2026, with her daughter Camille Marquez to celebrate Marquez’s birthday. They rode the X2.
"When X2 returned to the station, Camille looked at her mother and saw her sitting with a vacant stare and her mouth open," the lawsuit reads. "Camille initially thought Pamela was joking. She quickly realized that something was seriously wrong."
Guillen tried to get off the ride but was confused and unable to walk properly, according to the lawsuit. She stumbled after getting off the ride and then collapsed. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors conducted a scan and found a massive intracranial hemorrhage and life-threatening traumatic brain injury. She has since had multiple brain surgeries, the suit reads.
In Guillen's lawsuit, her family said Six Flags knew of the injury but still allowed the ride to run without investigating. The lawsuit also alleges that Six Flags knew the ride had led to other injuries long before Guillen’s injuries in July 2026, including a June 2022 incident in which Christopher Hawley, 22, got off the ride and complained of head pain, collapsed and then lost consciousness. Doctors found an intracranial hemorrhage and a brain shift. Doctors performed surgery on the man, but he died the next day.
Hawley’s family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags, which has since agreed to a settlement, reported television stations KTTV-TV and KTLA-TV.
Woman left 'profoundly disabled'
Six days after Guillen’s injuries, on July 11, 2026, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode the X2 with her two siblings, according to a lawsuit filed on Sept. 21.
Greer-Wilkinson "was subjected to sudden, violent, erratic, and excessive forces," and upon exiting the ride, she was confused and no longer could walk normally, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
She underwent multiple surgeries and is now "profoundly disabled" and bedridden. She is on a ventilator and cannot speak or move on her own, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs suing Six Flags are seeking money to cover past and future medical bills, lost wages and compensation for pain and suffering.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Six Flags to close X2 roller coaster after reports of brain injuries
