X2 roller coaster to shut down permanently for alleged brain injuries, coma and even death
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "X2 roller coaster to shut down permanently for alleged brain injuries, coma and even death")
X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain left one person in coma and at least two deaths. Photograph: (AFP)
The X2 roller coaster, which had been the highlight at Six Flags Magic Mountain for nearly two decades, has been officially shut down. An investigation linked it to severe brain injuries, and recently, more people came forward claiming the same.
Six Flags in California has announced that it will permanently close its X2 roller coaster, which an investigation linked to brain injuries and deaths. Six Flags Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding wrote in a blog post on Tuesday that even though the X2 roller coaster has “consistently passed a multitude of safety tests", the ride will be closed "because we believe it’s the right thing to do."
“Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously," he added. The roller coaster is said to have injured riders over a decade, but it was never officially revealed.
A CNN investigation last month documented more than a dozen cases where riders were seriously injured from the ride, leading to hospitalisations and at least two deaths. The most recent case is of two women who suffered brain injuries after riding the X2 roller coaster six days apart in July. They were both hospitalised at the Santa Clarita emergency room.
Following the probe, more than 100 new victims came forward last week, claiming that riding the X2 caused brain injuries. The revelation was made by their attorneys at a news conference, who said that all these cases occurred in the last two years. One of the victims is in a coma.
Three lawsuits were filed last week on behalf of riders who suffered life-threatening injuries this year. This includes 26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, who remains unconscious at a hospital. Six Flags officials have been accused of not shutting down the ride despite knowing about the alleged dangers. Six days before Naomi took the ride, another woman named Pamela Guillen lost consciousness after getting off the roller coaster and was rushed into emergency brain surgery.
“Six Flags knew years ago that X2 was putting people at grave risk and chose to continue gambling with their lives anyway. This should have happened long before Naomi’s brain injury," Naomi's parents told CNN.
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Meanwhile, Pamela previously told CNN that the ride has left her with terrible headaches and brain fog and that she is on medication for seizures. She also had to relearn how to talk and walk.
X2 has been a highlight at Six Flags Magic Mountain for over two decades and is known for its 4th-dimensional ride. Not only does the train go around the twisted track at speeds of 128 km/hr, but the seats also rotate 360 degrees.
One of the victims who died from a traumatic brain injury was 22-year-old Christopher Hawley. He passed away hours after riding X2 four years ago, and his parents had been pushing for the ride's closure for a long time. Neurosurgeons had said his injuries resembled those of “shaken baby syndrome." The coroner's report stated that Hawley died from blunt head trauma from "a park ride accident."
