Six Flags roller coaster permanently closed after injury claims
Magic Mountain amusement park retires X2 after almost twenty years.
Six Flags Magic Mountain in California is permanently removing the X2 roller coaster. The decision follows lawsuits in which visitors claim they suffered brain injuries after riding it.
The amusement park announced on Tuesday that X2 would be permanently closed after almost twenty years. According to park director Brian Oerding, the ride consistently passed safety tests, but Six Flags decided that closure was the right step now that visitors’ trust has been damaged.
The roller coaster had already been closed since 12 July. The trigger was two reports involving women who needed medical assistance shortly after a ride. The lawsuits allege that they suffered serious brain injuries. The allegations remain the subject of legal proceedings.
According to news agency AP, Six Flags recently settled a case brought by the family of a 22-year-old man. He died in 2022 after riding X2. The settlement is not a judicial finding that the ride was legally responsible.
In addition, three new lawsuits were filed last week. A lawyer representing several claimants says that more than 100 people have reported that they may have suffered brain injuries from the ride over the past two years. That figure comes from the lawyers and has not been established by an independent medical body.
California’s occupational safety agency opened an investigation after the incidents. According to AP, that investigation is still under way. The closure of the ride therefore does not automatically mean that the cause of the reported complaints has been established.
X2 opened in 2008 and featured cars whose seats could rotate during the ride. Six Flags says the attraction has received more than 16 million visitors since opening. The park is also using the closure to emphasise that safety and trust matter more than preserving a popular ride.
For visitors and the amusement-park industry, the central question now concerns the handling of the ongoing cases and the regulator’s investigation. The permanent closure prevents further rides, but says nothing yet about liability in individual claims or the medical cause of all the reported complaints.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Six Flags has permanently closed X2.
- Lawsuits concerning reported brain injuries are ongoing.
- An investigation by a regulator has not yet been completed.
Left
Arguments For rides posing potentially serious health risks, the government should intervene quickly and companies should share maximum information with visitors and victims.
Values Public health, prevention and the protection of vulnerable consumers.
Consequences Stricter oversight may limit risks sooner, but could lead to higher costs and more closures.
Centre
Arguments A temporary closure and an independent investigation are appropriate, but liability must be established legally and medically in each case.
Values Carefulness, evidence and a balance between safety and business freedom.
Consequences A procedural approach can restore trust, but takes longer for affected visitors.
Right
Arguments A company must take responsibility for concrete mistakes, but should not be condemned on the basis of unproven claims or public pressure.
Values Legal certainty, property rights and individual responsibility.
Consequences Restraint protects fair proceedings, but critics say it can result in visitors being protected too late.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text distinguishes between Six Flags’ decision, the lawsuits and the regulator’s ongoing investigation. Medical and legal claims are not presented as established facts.
- confirmed Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently retired X2. — The park announced this itself. source
- confirmed The ride had been closed since 12 July. — AP gives this date. source
- confirmed A California occupational safety agency is investigating the ride. — AP reports that the investigation was opened after the incidents and is still under way. source
- uncertain More than 100 people may have reported brain injuries. — This figure comes from the claimants’ lawyer and has not been independently established. source
Editor's note
The permanent closure and the ongoing investigation have been confirmed. Injury claims and the stated figure of more than 100 reports come from lawyers and are not the same as proven medical or legal liability.Sources
- Retiring X2 — Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Six Flags shuts down X2 roller coaster amid lawsuits — AP
- New lawsuits allege Six Flags X2 caused traumatic brain injuries — AP
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „six flags”
- de Volkskrant — „six flags”
- RTL Nieuws — „six flags”