A Six Flags Magic Mountain roller coaster remains closed after two women suffered severe brain hemorrhages within six days of each other after riding X2 in July. Both women lost consciousness and required emergency brain surgery, according to a CNN investigation published this week.
The closure is not being described by Six Flags as permanent. The park’s official scheduled-ride-closures page lists X2 as unavailable, while CNN reports that Six Flags said the coaster has not operated since shortly after the second woman was injured. The Los Angeles Times reported that Six Flags closed X2 on July 12 and California regulators opened an inspection into a July 5 incident.
Two X2 Riders Suffered Similar Brain Injuries Six Days Apart
Pamela Guillen, 40, visited Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, on July 5 with her daughter, who was celebrating her 16th birthday. CNN reported that Guillen became unresponsive after riding X2 and was transported to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed an acute subdural hematoma with brain compression.
Surgeons operated to relieve pressure on her brain. Guillen told CNN she continues to experience headaches and fatigue.
Six days later, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode X2 with family members. She collapsed after exiting the coaster and was rushed to the same hospital, where she also underwent emergency brain surgery. CNN reported that Greer-Wilkinson remained hospitalized with an uncertain recovery ahead.
Three neurosurgeons involved in treating the women gave CNN a stark assessment. In an email, the doctors said “the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.”
Inside the Magic recently covered the separate wrongful-death litigation involving X2 and 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, adding context to the scrutiny surrounding the attraction.
What Makes Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 So Intense?
X2 is one of Six Flags Magic Mountain’s signature thrill rides. Six Flags describes it as a “fifth-dimension wing roller coaster,” with seats that rotate 360 degrees while riders encounter face-down drops, flips, twists and two “raven turns.”
That unusual ride system is central to X2’s identity. It also explains why the latest reports matter to coaster fans: this is one of Magic Mountain’s most recognizable experiences.
X2 has faced unrelated disruptions before. In June, a brush fire burned beneath the coaster before firefighters contained it; officials reported no injuries or structural damage. More recently, X2 was listed as unavailable when an August power outage delayed Magic Mountain’s opening.
Neither event establishes a connection to the July injuries. They do show how the status of a marquee coaster can affect a park built heavily around its thrill-ride lineup.
CNN Investigation Examines X2’s Longer Injury History
CNN reported finding more than a dozen people who suffered serious injuries and hospitalizations after riding X2 over nearly two decades, including Hawley, who died in 2022.
According to CNN, a coroner’s report found that Hawley died from blunt head trauma during a “park ride accident.” His family pursued a wrongful-death lawsuit, and a settlement was reported this week before the case was scheduled for trial.
Six Flags did not answer CNN’s detailed questions. CNN reported, however, that the company has argued in prior court filings that X2 underwent daily inspections and that a rider using the attraction normally and as instructed would not sustain traumatic brain injury.
California rules require permanent amusement-ride operators to report qualifying serious injuries and preserve relevant equipment or conditions for investigation. Cal/OSHA’s Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit inspects and enforces regulations governing permanent amusement rides.
That framework is relevant because state officials have been investigating the reported July 5 X2 incident. No public finding establishing a mechanical defect or explaining the precise cause of the two July injuries has been identified as of publication. For additional context, Inside the Magic has previously examined theme-park safety incidents involving Magic Mountain.
X2 Is Closed, but Six Flags Has Not Announced Its Permanent Removal
For guests planning a Six Flags Magic Mountain visit, the immediate consequence is straightforward: X2 should not be treated as available. Six Flags lists the coaster on its scheduled ride closures page and advises that attraction availability can change without notice.
That distinction matters. Reports describing X2 as permanently closed go beyond what Six Flags’ current public ride-status page confirms. The verified status is that the attraction is closed; a reopening date has not been publicly announced there.
The closure comes during a turbulent period for Magic Mountain. The park experienced a delayed opening after an August power outage, while Six Flags has also reshaped leadership across its portfolio, including a management change at the California park. For regular visitors, losing a marquee coaster adds another variable to a day built around high-thrill attractions.
What Happens Next for X2?
The unanswered question is whether X2 will reopen, undergo changes, or remain closed for an extended period. Six Flags has not announced a reopening date or permanent retirement on its official closure page.
What is clear is that the July cases have placed X2 under renewed scrutiny. Two riders suffered severe brain injuries days apart, doctors treating them attributed those injuries to rapid acceleration-deceleration experienced on the ride, and CNN’s review identified a longer history of serious injury claims tied to the coaster.
Until Six Flags or California regulators provide a substantive update, guests should expect X2 to remain unavailable. Any future reopening will carry a larger question than when the gates open again: what, if anything, investigators determine must change before riders return.
