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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/29\/us\/six-flags-magic-mountain-x2-roller-coaster-closed.html?ae=oa&emc=edit_nn_20260930&nl=the-morning&segment_id=227287",
    "parsed_content": "AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTSupported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENTX2, the Troubled California Six Flags Roller Coaster, Reaches Its EndThe ride at Magic Mountain near Los Angeles has fueled lawsuits claiming that it had caused brain injuries, including two that were fatal.Listen \u00b7 5:08 min Share full articleRiders experienced up to four times the force of gravity on X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. The ride had attracted criticism and lawsuits claiming it caused severe injuries.Credit...Jae C. Hong\/Associated PressBy Neil VigdorSept. 29, 2026See more of our coverage in your search results.Encuentra m\u00e1s de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de b\u00fasqueda. Add The New York Times on GoogleAgrega The New York Times en Google X2, the beleaguered roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles that has been at the center of numerous lawsuits, including at least two wrongful death cases, is permanently closing, the theme park\u2019s operator said on Tuesday.The ride, which tops out at about 200 feet and reaches speeds of up to 76 miles an hour, has not operated since July, amid a flurry of complaints accusing Six Flags and S&S Worldwide, the company that built the roller coaster\u2019s train cars, of failing to warn riders about the risks.Riders experienced up to four times the force of gravity on X2, which featured multiple inversions and twists and was classified as a \u201cfourth-dimension\u201d roller coaster because of the way its seats were designed. The seats rotated independently as the train traveled along the track, spinning riders as much as 360 degrees.Its design spawned intense criticism over the years, with lawsuits linking it to cerebral hemorrhages and other traumatic brain injuries.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMore than 16 million people rode the roller coaster since it was renamed X2 in 2008 after a redesign, according to Six Flags. The original ride opened as X in 2002.In a blog post on Tuesday, Brian Oerding, the president of Six Flags Magic Mountain, said that the ride was being retired.\u201cWhile X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it\u2019s the right thing to do,\u201d Mr. Oerding said. \u201cRide safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously.\u201dThe roller coaster\u2019s decommissioning came eight days after three people sued Six Flags and S&S Worldwide, claiming they suffered catastrophic brain injuries after riding X2.The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health had begun an inquiry into the ride.The announcement on Tuesday also followed a settlement for an undisclosed amount in late August between Six Flags and the family of Christopher Hawley, 22, a San Diego State University graduate who died one day after riding X2 in June 2022. The case had been scheduled to go to trial this month in Los Angeles County Superior Court.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTMr. Hawley lost consciousness after exiting the ride, according to a lawsuit filed by his family, who said the ride caused a catastrophic right subdural hematoma. The Los Angeles County medical examiner\u2019s office ruled that Mr. Hawley had died from blunt head trauma and said that his death was accidental.In a statement provided on Tuesday by Wisner Baum, the law firm representing Mr. Hawley\u2019s family, his mother, Anne Hawley, said she was relieved to learn that X2 had been permanently shut down.\u201cThis ride should have been closed long before our son Christopher was injured, and it certainly should have been closed after he died,\u201d Ms. Hawley said. \u201cInstead, it took more than four years and dozens of other injured riders for Six Flags to do the right thing.\u201dS&S Worldwide, which also settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday about the ride\u2019s closure and safety complaints over it.In court filings, Six Flags and S&S Worldwide argued that Mr. Hawley had an arachnoid cyst in his brain, a pre-existing condition, that had ruptured and caused bleeding. The companies said that X2 had passed industry-standard acceleration tests in 2008, 2018 and 2023.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTIn October 2010, Hilda Farias, 28, died after riding X2. The cause was an acute cerebellar hemorrhage, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner\u2019s office, though doctors suggested at the time that she had an underlying brain abnormality. Her family also received a settlement to resolve a lawsuit over the ride.Four Gs is greater than the gravitational force of about three Gs that astronauts experienced during the launch of the space shuttle, Erik Seedhouse, an associate professor at Embry\u2011Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., said in an email on Tuesday.Professor Seedhouse, who is the author of \u201cPulling G: Human Responses to High and Low Gravity,\u201d said that four Gs would usually not be harmful.\u201cRoller coaster rides are G-limited to five G \u2014 not a problem for a single ride but if a person with a medical condition rides a coaster multiple times, then there may be a problem,\u201d he said.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT",
    "published_at": "2026-09-29T22:54:37+00:00",
    "author_name": "Neil Vigdor",
    "site_name": "The New York Times",
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    "ai_headline": "X2, the Troubled California Six Flags Roller Coaster, Reaches Its End",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Six Flags Magic Mountain Closes X2 Roller Coaster After Lawsuits",
    "ai_excerpt": "Six Flags Magic Mountain has permanently closed its X2 roller coaster following numerous lawsuits, including two wrongful death cases, alleging the ride caused brain injuries. The decision comes after years of criticism and recent legal settlements.",
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