One of the top attractions at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., has been quiet for more than a month as a lawsuit looms and a recent incident regarding the ride is under investigation.
KTLA 5 News reported Thursday that it learned the ride in question, X2, had been closed for weeks. It opened back in 2002 as “X” and was the world’s first “4th dimension” coaster, meaning that it has cars that spin on a horizontal axis.
X2 – KTLA noted it was the last coaster designed by Arrow Dynamics – reaches 76 miles per hour and has a 200-foot elevation, per the Six Flags Magic Mountain site. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall and ride safety instructions provide guidelines regarding medical devices and persons extremities.
“A right of passage for the ultimate daredevil, this fifth-dimension wing roller coaster will have even the most hardened thrill seeker screaming,” said Six Flags. “With 360° rotating seats and head-first, face down drops, X2 is downright scary.”
Though groundbreaking and popular, the ride has been closed before. The Los Angeles Times reported that it was shut down for weeks in 2002, the same year that it opened, due to a design flaw. According to the Roller Coaster database, the trains were replaced in 2008 when the coaster was re-branded as X2.
A lawsuit filed by a family from Garden Grove, Calif., claims that 22-year-old Christopher Hawley suffered a fatal traumatic brain injury on the ride in 2022. After getting off the ride, the young man allegedly has head pain and trouble with coordination, then lost consciousness.
“He was rushed to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia, where a CT scan showed he suffered a catastrophic subdural hematoma caused by the roller coaster, according to the lawsuit. He died the following day,” said KTLA. It noted that the park has not offered a public statement on the lawsuit, citing the ongoing litigation. A jury trial in the case is scheduled for next month.
More recently, the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to Six Flags Magic Mountain at around 9:15 p.m. on July 5 after receiving a report of an unconscious person, fire officials cited by KTLA.
“The matter was handled by fire crews and the park’s medical staff, according to the sheriff’s department, which did not initiate an investigation,” according to the outlet. KTLA said it could not independently confirm that rider’s condition.
It also said that representatives from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, responded to the incident as well.
“Cal/OSHA’s Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit has opened an inspection into the reported incident involving the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain,” a Cal/OSHA representative told the station. “Because the inspection is ongoing, no further details are available at this time.”
While park officials have not publicly commented on the July incident, a response to KTLA’s inquiries confirmed that X2 “remains closed at this time.”
