Six Flags X2 brain injuries left two women in a life-threatening condition after they rode the coaster at the Valencia, California park days apart in July 2026, an investigation published on Thursday, 27 August 2026 revealed.
Pamela Guillen, 40, and Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, each suffered brain haemorrhages requiring emergency surgery after riding the coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain within six days of each other, as reported by CNN. Both women survived.
The X2 is regarded as one of the most intense roller coasters in the world. Its seats rotate independently of the track, flipping riders head over heels in sequences they cannot anticipate. It has been closed since July 2026.
How the Six Flags X2 brain injuries unfolded
Guillen, of Hawaii, was at the park with her family for her daughter’s 16th birthday when she struck her head repeatedly against the headrest and lost consciousness after getting off.
Surgeons saved her life. She regained full consciousness two weeks later, relearned how to walk and talk, and said she was “very lucky to be alive”.
Six days after Guillen’s ride, Greer-Wilkinson, from Los Angeles, rode the X2 with her siblings and allegedly sustained comparable injuries.
Doctors performed emergency brain surgery and saved her life. She remained in a coma and on a ventilator.
What doctors said about the X2 brain injuries
Medical teams that treated both women concluded the ride had caused their injuries, a finding Six Flags has not addressed.
An email obtained during the investigation recorded their assessment in unambiguous terms. The doctors wrote:
“In our professional opinion, the severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.”
Earlier deaths linked to the Six Flags X2
In June 2022, Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old college graduate, died about 10 hours after riding the X2. He lost consciousness seconds after getting off. His brother and cousin, who rode with him, said they struck their heads repeatedly and were thrown around “like rag dolls”.
A CT scan showed Hawley had suffered a catastrophic subdural haematoma. His father said a surgeon had likened the injuries to “shaken baby syndrome”, and that the ride “hit his head so hard that it had basically ruptured his brain”.
The family’s wrongful death lawsuit against Six Flags Magic Mountain reached a settlement in the week beginning Monday, 24 August 2026, with the remaining terms kept confidential. Hawley’s mother set out what the loss had meant for the family:
“We went from a family of four to a family of three in an instant. It’s devastating. It is a piece of us that is gone forever.”
In 2010, Hilda Farias, 28, died after riding the X2, with doctors believing a pre-existing brain abnormality had ruptured under the coaster’s intensity. Her family later settled a lawsuit over her death for an undisclosed amount.
Six Flags has not commented on the alleged injuries, confirming only that the X2 remains shut with no reopening date. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is investigating and has said no further details are available.
