Six Flags X2 Closed After Two Riders Suffer Severe Brain Injuries

VALENCIA, CA – Six Flags Magic Mountain closed its X2 roller coaster after two riders suffered severe brain injuries six days apart in July. Both women lost consciousness after riding the attraction and underwent emergency brain surgery at the same hospital. 

Pamela Guillen visited the Valencia amusement park with her daughter on July 5 to celebrate the teenager’s 16th birthday. Guillen said her head struck the seat’s headrest as the coaster moved through its course. She was unconscious after the ride and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed an acute subdural hematoma with brain compression. 

Surgeons removed part of Guillen’s skull to relieve the pressure. By late August, she had regained the ability to walk but continued to experience daily headaches and fatigue. She also took medication intended to prevent seizures. 

If you or a loved one has been injured in an amusement park accident, call J&Y Law for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7. 

Second rider at Six Flags X2 injured six days later 

The ride remained open after Guillen was hospitalized. Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, boarded X2 on July 11 and collapsed after leaving the coaster. She was taken to the same hospital and underwent emergency surgery for a traumatic brain injury. Her family said she remained hospitalized with an uncertain prognosis when the injuries were publicly detailed in late August. 

Doctors who treated the two women attributed their injuries to rapid acceleration and deceleration experienced on X2. The coaster uses seats that rotate forward and backward independently of the track. Riders descend about 200 feet and reach speeds of up to 76 mph. 

A park spokesperson said X2 had not operated since shortly after Greer-Wilkinson was injured. The ride was listed as closed beginning July 12. Six Flags declined to answer detailed questions about the two cases. 

Earlier claims and inspections 

The late-August investigation documented more than a dozen reports of serious injuries and hospitalizations associated with X2 over nearly two decades. Among them was the 2022 death of Christopher Hawley, 22. A coroner’s report attributed his death to blunt head trauma in a park ride accident. 

Hawley’s family sued Magic Mountain and a company connected to replacement trains used on the coaster. The defendants denied responsibility, and the lawsuit ended in confidential settlements before trial. In court filings, Six Flags said X2 received daily inspections and maintained that a rider using the attraction as directed would not suffer a traumatic brain injury. 

California’s occupational safety division oversees amusement ride operations. The agency had not publicly explained whether X2 could reopen or what additional review followed the July injuries. The coaster remained closed when the new findings were reported.