Story perspectives

Six Flags Permanently Closes X2 After Safety Tests

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 3:58 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently closed the X2 roller coaster.
President Brian Oerding said the ride passed safety tests but guest confidence fell.
Two women suffered severe brain hemorrhages in July 2026, prompting a July 12 shutdown.
Lawsuits allege over 100 riders sustained traumatic brain injuries in the past two years.
A wrongful-death suit from Christopher Hawley's 2022 death settled in August 2026.

History

Historical Context

A string of high-profile accidents—13 riders injured on Six Flags’ coaster on June 28 1998 and a cable snap that crippled rides at Six Flags and other parks on June 21 2007—spurred tighter safety scrutiny nationwide. Those incidents helped shape ongoing regulatory pressure that now underlies lawsuits over the X2 coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

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Story summary

Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently closed the X2 roller coaster.
President Brian Oerding said the ride passed safety tests but guest confidence fell.
Two women suffered severe brain hemorrhages in July 2026, prompting a July 12 shutdown.
Lawsuits allege over 100 riders sustained traumatic brain injuries in the past two years.
A wrongful-death suit from Christopher Hawley's 2022 death settled in August 2026.

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