Jacque Marquez and Sarah Martinez, were one of the first riders to experience X2 during X2 Media Day At Six Flags Magic Mountain on May 22, 2008 in Valencia, California. Mathew Imaging/WireImage The ride’s over.
Six Flags Magic Mountain will permanently close one of its most popular and iconic attractions after a slew of injury claims.
“After almost 20 years, we have decided to permanently retire X2,” Magic Mountain President Brian Oerding said in a statement. “Since X2 [re-]opened in 2008, it has welcomed more than 16 million guests and earned a passionate following among ride enthusiasts. We recognize the special place X2 holds in the coaster community, and we are grateful to our team members who operated and maintained it throughout its run. While X2 consistently passed a multitude of safety tests, we have decided to close the ride because we believe it’s the right thing to do. Ride safety is a cornerstone of our business, and when we see guest confidence affected, we take it seriously. Our purpose is to create FUN, thrills and a lifetime of memories by creating unforgettable experiences that are underpinned by comprehensive safety policies.”
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The Valencia, California, ride has been shuttered since July 12 after two riders suffered similar brain hemorrhages.
According to a CNN investigation, two women who rode the X2 coaster six days apart both lost consciousness and ended up in surgery with similar brain hemorrhages of a type that’s “typically associated with high-speed collisions.” Three neurosurgeons who treated the women declared in an email, “the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.”
One parent of an injured rider told the network that whoever decided to keep X2 open after the first July injury case “has a lot to answer for,” and declared, “It’s got to stop.”
In the weeks since the CNN story, three lawsuits were filed, according to ABC 7. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs say more than 100 additional people have come forward with injury claims.
The popular high-speed “4D” coaster had near-vertical drops and independently rotating seats which flipped riders around. The ride was considered much-loved among hardcore coaster fans and it was voted “Coaster of the Year” when it first opened in 2002 (watch a point-of-view video of the ride below).
Six Flags previously defended the coaster by pointing out there is signage warning customers “there are inherent risks” in park rides and that X2 is regularly tested and meets industry safety regulations. The company’s attorneys have argued that forces generated by the ride are not strong enough to cause a brain injury in a “normal” rider if the ride is used “as instructed” (in at least one case, the park’s attorneys said a rider’s injury was due to her negligence).
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