Family sues Six Flags after deadly roller coaster head injuries

A California family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Six Flags Magic Mountain after their 22-year-old son suffered fatal head trauma on the X2 roller coaster.

The thriller ride has been linked to several severe injuries over nearly two decades.

In June 2022, a San Diego State University graduate, Christopher Hawley, died after riding the X2 attraction with his brother and cousin. The lawsuit alleged that Hawley collapsed shortly after the ride and died one day later from blunt-force head trauma.

Medical officers attributed his injuries to shaken baby syndrome.

The X2 roller coaster, which features seats that rotate 360 degrees while reaching speeds of nearly 80 mph, has been the subject of mounting safety concerns. A CNN investigation revealed more than a dozen serious injuries associated with the ride over nearly two decades, including life-altering disabilities, comas, and two deaths.

In July 2026, two women were rushed to the hospital for emergency brain surgery after riding X2 within days of each other. One remains in a coma, while the other is relearning how to talk and walk.

The ride received multiple complaints related to head and neck injuries over the years, but Six Flags continued operating it. Internal records show the park received almost 70 head and neck injury complaints in three years.

In their defense, the theme park stated that the ride has warning signs to inform passengers of inherent risks. However, the neurosurgeons who treated the two women injured in July stated that severe brain injuries were caused by the ride’s rapid acceleration-deceleration forces.

A jury trial is scheduled to begin September 9. The ride remains closed as state regulators continue investigations.