Skip to content
Bramble

US

Six Flags permanently closes X2 coaster at Magic Mountain after brain-injury claims

Six Flags Magic Mountain said on Tuesday it will not reopen the X2 roller coaster, closed since July, after lawsuits and news reports alleging riders suffered brain injuries. The park says the ride passed safety tests.

11 outlets · 3L · 4C · 4R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 4). New coverage since the last version from Anadolu Agency, GB News, Gulf News, The A.V. Club.

Image: Newsweek
Image: The Independent
Image: New York Post
Image: Anadolu Agency
Image: Daily Mirror
Image: Daily Express
Image: Gulf News
Image: The A.V. Club

1 / 8

The story, neutrally told

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced on Tuesday that it is permanently closing its X2 roller coaster, which has been shut since July. Park president Brian Oerding said the ride consistently passed safety tests but was closed because "it's the right thing to do" and because guest confidence was affected. Attorneys said more than 100 riders had reported brain injuries over the past two years, while Dordick Law Corporation said about 400 people had contacted it; these are allegations, not established in court.

Three lawsuits have been filed on behalf of injured riders, including Naomi Greer-Wilkinson; the A.V. Club says they also name seat manufacturer S&S Worldwide. A CNN investigation documented more than a dozen serious injuries and at least two deaths linked to the ride, including Christopher Hawley in 2022. Hawley's family settled its wrongful-death suit in August; their lawyer Brent Wisner said they were relieved and called for greater government oversight of amusement park safety.

Dordick Law Corporation welcomed the closure but said it came too late for those already hurt. California's occupational safety regulator has begun an inquiry into the injuries. X opened in 2002 and reopened as X2 in 2008 with lighter trains; Six Flags says it has carried more than 16 million riders since.

Some UK outlets say the ride will be demolished, but GB News reports Six Flags has not said what will replace it.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left3 outlets

Framing
The Independent leads with the lawsuits and victim accounts; the Mirror calls the ride notorious and stresses deaths and demolition; the A.V. Club is sardonic, doubting Six Flags will face accountability.
Emphasis
Victim detail, deaths, injuries and corporate responsibility.
Leaves out or plays down
The Independent and Mirror do not report the regulator's inquiry; the Mirror leaves out plaintiffs' figures.
Charged language
“notorious”“potential death trap”“potentially life-altering trap”
For example
“the notorious X2 rollercoaster” — Daily Mirror
“accountability doesn’t seem to be on the horizon” — The A.V. Club

Centre4 outlets

Framing
Newsweek runs a short report on safety and guest confidence; BBC focuses on lawsuits and lawyers' reactions; Anadolu gives a concise account citing CNN and the suits.
Emphasis
Company statement, lawsuit counts and lawyer responses.
Leaves out or plays down
Newsweek omits lawsuit figures and victims; BBC and Anadolu do not mention the regulator's inspection.
For example
“The announcement comes after multiple lawsuits alleged that hundreds of riders suffered brain injuries from X2” — BBC News
“following mounting reports of severe brain injuries and multiple lawsuits” — Anadolu Agency

Right4 outlets

Framing
The Post stresses graphic injuries; the Express says the ride is demolished after a report that 'exposed' injuries and deaths; GB News calls it a 'behemoth' park and puts 'brain injury' in quotes; the Straits Times runs a brief report.
Emphasis
Catastrophic injuries, fan nostalgia, the ride's fame and lawyers' quotes.
Leaves out or plays down
GB News omits the CNN investigation and the regulator's inquiry; the Straits Times omits deaths and victims.
Charged language
“catastrophic brain injuries”“Behemoth”“exposed”
For example
“Six Flags Magic Mountain permanently shuts down X2 after series of catastrophic brain injuries” — New York Post
“Behemoth theme park shuts down iconic rollercoaster over 'brain injury' allegations” — GB News