Six Flags closes roller coaster after deaths and severe brain injuries
A roller coaster at Six Flags has been taken out of service after two riders died and multiple others sustained devastating brain injuries that required emergency operations.
X2, one of the most popular attractions at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, has not operated since July 12. The coaster debuted in 2001. CNN reports that it has been connected with more than a dozen major injuries, several riders who entered comas or developed permanent disabilities, and two fatalities.
Although complaints accumulated over many years, California regulators continued permitting the coaster to run until the previous month.
Two women suffered critical injuries on X2 only six days apart.
The latest incidents involved Pamela Guillen, a 40-year-old resident of Hawaii, and Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, from Los Angeles. Each underwent emergency brain surgery after riding X2 within a matter of days during July.
Guillen had already felt nervous about boarding the coaster but wanted to accompany her 16-year-old daughter. While the ride was moving, her head repeatedly struck the headrest. After the car arrived back at the station, she began vomiting, then soon became unconscious.
A CT examination showed serious compression of her brain and a severe subdural hematoma. Guillen emerged from a coma two weeks afterward. Her hair had been shaved, her head was closed with staples, and she could not remember what had occurred.
Only six days after Guillen’s ride, Greer-Wilkinson boarded X2 alongside her twin brother and younger sister. She also lost consciousness soon after the ride and was rushed into an emergency procedure on her brain. Her relatives say medical staff warned them to expect the worst.
More than a month later, Greer-Wilkinson remains unconscious, dependent on a ventilator. Her mother, Artemis Greer, told CNN that Naomi should never have been allowed the possibility of getting onto the ride. Her father said the people responsible for keeping it open now have serious questions to answer.
The problem appears to extend far beyond the two latest cases.
Lucy Alvarez, 46, received a traumatic-brain-injury diagnosis after traveling on X2. She had slammed the back of her head against the ride’s headrest. Even after returning to San Diego, Alvarez continued experiencing head pain and dizziness. An emergency-room evaluation confirmed a traumatic subdural hematoma.
Her lawyer says the effects forced Alvarez to leave nursing school. She continues to cope with lost memories, difficulty maintaining balance, and persistent migraines. Her lawsuit is scheduled for trial in October 2027.
Another tragedy occurred in 2022. Christopher Hawley, 22, rode X2 with a cousin and his brother, and all three reportedly hit their heads against the seats. Hawley said he felt lightheaded before he passed out.
In a later court deposition, his cousin recalled the terror visible on Hawley’s face as his eyes closed, saying that frightening look would never be forgotten.
By the time doctors began operating, the swelling inside Hawley’s brain was so extreme that tissue had started pressing through the surgical opening. He died ten hours after getting on the coaster.
Six Flags has said only that the attraction remains closed for now. The company has not explained what led directly to the shutdown, nor has it indicated whether X2 will ever be opened again.
