The thrill capital of the world is saying goodbye to one of its record-breaking roller coasters, X2, amid pending lawsuits over claims that the ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain caused brain injuries and death.
In a message from Brian Oerding, the Valencia theme park’s president, an operational update was provided on the Six Flags official website on Tuesday announcing the official retirement of the X2, known for its seats spinning 360 degrees, extreme drops and special effects.
“After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2,” the statement read. “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.”
“Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously,” the statement added.
The announcement comes following pending lawsuits claiming the ride has caused brain injuries and death. It was closed beginning July 12, and remained nonoperational until the announcement was made.
In a 2023 lawsuit, Anne Hawley, of Garden Grove, alleged her son Christopher Hawley suffered head injuries in June 2022 from the ride that resulted in her son’s death.
The case was settled as of Aug. 26, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court Records, which previously had a pretrial settlement conference on the record for that date.
In a joint statement, attorneys with Wisner Baum LLP, which represented the Hawley family, and Promit Ghosh of JOTO PR Disruptors said the plaintiffs contend that Christopher Hawley’s brain bleed was caused by the X2 ride.
“Plaintiffs contend that Christopher Hawley’s brain bleed was caused by the X2 ride. Plaintiffs allege that Magic Mountain is liable for negligence and products liability. Magic Mountain alleges that Christopher Hawley had pre-existing brain conditions, and that his alleged injuries were not caused by negligence or by defects with the X2 ride,” according to the joint statement, which also stated Six Flags denies “allegations of negligence and products liability, medical causation and the nature and extent of claimed injuries.”
According to the original complaint by the Hawley family, Christoper and two family members went on X2 in June 2022 and the ride jerked its “riders around like rag dolls.”
After exiting the coaster, Christopher clutched the rail, and then collapsed after his brother and cousin came to his side. He passed out and never regained consciousness, according to the lawsuit.
The $55 million ride opened in 2008, and traveled 76 mph, with 200 feet of elevation change, according to the Six Flags website.
“It has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts,” Oerding’s statement read. “We recognize the special place X2 holds in the coaster community, and we are grateful to our team members who operated and maintained it throughout its run.”
