Christopher Hawley was 22 when he died after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. It was 2022. His family sued for negligence, and the park eventually reached a settlement.
Now, nearly two decades after it opened, the ride has closed for good. It had been out of operation since July 12, when two women who had ridden it just days apart were rushed to the hospital. Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, collapsed shortly after the ride with a massive brain hemorrhage; today, she remains in a vegetative state, unable to speak or move, and connected to a ventilator. Pamela Guillen, 40, lost consciousness and had to undergo brain surgery.
According to the law firm Dordick Law Corporation, more than 100 people say they suffered brain injuries, and the BBC itself reports hundreds of people have come forward. These are allegations, not proven facts: Six Flags says X2 passed its safety tests, but decided to remove it because it considered that the right thing to do.
It traveled at 122 km/h, with seats that rotated 360 degrees. More than 16 million people have ridden it since 2002. How many actually walked away unharmed?
