The Unsettling Truth: Over 100 Riders Allege Brain Injuries from Six Flags' X2 Roller Coaster

Imagine heading to a theme park, ready for a thrilling day, only to have your life irrevocably altered. That's the chilling reality facing over 100 individuals who are now alleging severe brain injuries, some tragically fatal, after riding the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California. These alarming claims have come to light following a recent CNN investigation, shining a harsh spotlight on the safety of what was once considered a premier attraction.

The situation is escalating rapidly, with civil attorney Christopher Bulone announcing three new lawsuits against Six Flags just this past Tuesday, September 22, 2026. This legal action highlights what Bulone starkly calls Six Flags "willingly gambling with people's lives," asserting that "No ride like that should be allowed to exist." Among the plaintiffs is Pamela Guillen, a 40-year-old who endured emergency brain surgery just this past July after her ride on X2. Her life, as she knew it, has been upended; she's now grappling with the painstaking process of relearning basic functions like talking and walking, all while battling debilitating headaches, a persistent brain fog, and the need for seizure medication.

Sadly, Pamela's story isn't an isolated incident. A mere six days after her ordeal, 26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson also experienced a terrifying medical emergency post-X2. She fell unconscious, requiring her own emergency brain surgery for a severe traumatic brain injury, and heartbreakingly, she remains in a coma. Then there's Michael Wilk, a Los Angeles attorney, whose life took a drastic turn last February. After riding X2, he suffered massive brain bleeding that necessitated multiple brain surgeries. He’s now disabled, plagued by severe headaches, memory loss, and that same frustrating brain fog, rendering him unable to continue his legal practice. "I truly hope that by coming forward, changes will be made," Wilk shared, his words heavy with the weight of his experience.

But the alleged consequences extend beyond life-altering injuries to include death itself. Attorney Timothy Loranger revealed that an unnamed young man died in late 2025 after riding X2. This latest tragedy, he states, marks at least the third alleged death linked to the ride. For context, four years prior, 22-year-old Christopher Hawley also succumbed to a traumatic brain injury after his X2 experience, a case his family fought with Loranger's firm.

From a medical standpoint, surgeons have directly linked Guillen's and Greer-Wilkinson's catastrophic injuries to "a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride." In other words, the intense forces exerted by the coaster are pinpointed as the cause. Six Flags, however, has maintained a tight-lipped stance, declining to comment on the pending litigation. Their only public statement thus far has been that "the ride remains closed at this time." Interestingly, the X2 was only shut down on the evening of July 12, nearly a full day after the most recent reported injury, raising questions about the timing and necessity of the closure.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, is the body tasked with overseeing amusement park ride operations. Yet, officials there have, for now, remained silent on these new allegations and inquiries about past incidents, citing an ongoing inspection. Attorney Gary Dordick didn't mince words, declaring that "Magic Mountain has known about the dangers of this ride for years." It's a sobering thought, especially when considering the layers of uncertainty surrounding this whole affair: CNN couldn't independently verify all recently reported injuries, Six Flags has been mum about why the ride truly needs to be closed, and perhaps most critically, it's unclear just how many of these alleged injuries have even been formally reported to the state.

The sheer volume of these severe allegations against Six Flags' X2 roller coaster paints a deeply troubling picture. For families and individuals whose lives have been irrevocably changed, or even ended, a day of fun turned into a nightmare. As investigations continue and legal battles unfold, the public, and indeed all thrill-seekers, will undoubtedly be looking for clear answers and a commitment to safety from both the park operators and regulatory authorities.