Six Flags Retires X2 Roller Coaster Following Brain Injury Lawsuits

The California park opted to dismantle the ride despite it passing routine safety inspections. Park president Brian Oerding cited moral responsibility as the primary driver for the decision. The ride had remained shuttered since July, following two separate emergency hospitalizations of female riders within a single week. One victim, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, remains in a vegetative state after undergoing emergency brain surgery.

Legal pressure intensified last week as three new lawsuits were filed against the operator. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs allege a pattern of trauma linked to the coaster's design. The attraction, which debuted in 2002, was the world’s first fourth-dimension coaster, utilizing seats that rotate 360 degrees at speeds reaching 76 mph. The permanent closure follows an August settlement regarding the 2022 death of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who collapsed the day after riding the attraction.