Six Flags shuts iconic X2 rollercoaster after claims of serious brain injuries

X2 features seats that rotate 360 degrees as the train travels along its track, making it a distinctive and popular attraction at the behemoth site – overseen by the largest regional amusement park operator in North America.

Six Flags said X2 had passed a range of safety tests, but the decision to retire the ride was ultimately "the right thing to do".

"Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously," Six Flags Magic Mountain president Brian Oerding said when announcing the closure.

The decision follows lawsuits and media reports concerning alleged injuries linked to the ride.

Dordick Law Corporation, which has filed civil lawsuits against the park, said it had been contacted by about 400 people who believed they had suffered injuries after riding X2.

The firm said some of those people had experienced severe injuries, including cases requiring emergency brain surgery.

It welcomed the decision to close the ride, but said the move came too late for people who had already been injured.

"While this closure protects future guests, it does nothing for the people who have already been hurt," the firm said.

X2 originally opened in 2002 under the name X.

The ride was closed several months later for repairs to address design problems, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It was closed again in 2007 while its trains were replaced with lighter versions before reopening as X2 the following year.

Six Flags said the attraction has been ridden more than 16 million times since its reopening.

The closure has also renewed attention on the death of Christopher Hawley, 22, after riding X2 in 2022.

His family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Six Flags and reached a settlement with the theme park in August.

Attorney Brent Wisner, who represented the victim’s family, said they were "relieved" to learn that the ride would be permanently closed but argued the decision did not change what happened to her child.

Mr Wisner called for changes to legal and regulatory systems, including greater government oversight of amusement park safety.

The closure ends more than two decades of operation for X2, although Six Flags has not indicated what will replace the attraction.