Two women underwent emergency neurosurgery six days apart after riding the high-speed attraction at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California.
VALENCIA, Calif. — The X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain remains closed after two women suffered severe brain injuries and underwent emergency surgery within six days of each other this summer, adding new scrutiny to an attraction previously tied to serious injury claims and a rider’s 2022 death.
Pamela Guillen, 40, rode X2 on July 5 while visiting the Southern California theme park for her daughter’s 16th birthday, according to a CNN investigation that reviewed medical records, court filings and injury reports. Guillen became seriously ill after getting off the coaster and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Doctors diagnosed an acute subdural hematoma with brain compression and performed emergency surgery to relieve pressure on her brain. Guillen later regained consciousness and has been able to walk, but she told CNN that she continues to experience headaches, fatigue and other effects of the injury.
Six days later, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode the same attraction and collapsed after leaving the coaster, according to her family and medical information reviewed by CNN. She was taken to the same hospital and also underwent emergency brain surgery. Her family said she had been healthy before the incident. As of the latest reporting, Greer-Wilkinson remained hospitalized with an uncertain prognosis. Six Flags said X2 has not operated since the evening of July 12, shortly after the second incident.
Doctors who treated Guillen and Greer-Wilkinson attributed their severe injuries to what they described in medical findings as a rapid acceleration-and-deceleration event experienced while riding X2. That assessment links the injuries to forces experienced on the attraction, although the broader regulatory investigation remains open. Six Flags did not answer CNN’s detailed questions about the two cases. In earlier court filings involving other injury claims, the company maintained that X2 underwent daily inspections and argued that a rider using the attraction as instructed would not normally suffer a traumatic brain injury.
X2 is one of Magic Mountain’s most distinctive roller coasters. Six Flags describes the attraction as having seats that rotate 360 degrees independently while the train moves along the track. CNN reported that riders descend about 200 feet and can reach speeds of up to 76 mph. The park’s current website lists X2 among its scheduled ride closures, and a Six Flags spokesperson confirmed in separate reporting that it has remained closed since July 12. The company has not announced a date for reopening the attraction.
The recent injuries have renewed attention on earlier cases involving X2. CNN said its review found more than a dozen people who reported serious injuries or hospitalizations after riding the coaster over nearly two decades. Some of those cases resulted in lawsuits, including claims involving traumatic brain injuries. Court records also show that a separate California appellate case involving rider Sheila Katerelos raised a disputed question over whether X2 caused or contributed to her alleged traumatic brain injury. In February, a state appeals court reversed a lower-court ruling that had favored companies involved with the coaster vehicles, finding there were factual issues that could proceed in the litigation.
One of the most serious earlier cases involved Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old San Diego State University graduate who rode X2 on June 23, 2022. Hawley became unsteady and complained of head pain after leaving the attraction before collapsing, according to allegations in a lawsuit filed by his parents. He died the following day. The Los Angeles County medical examiner determined that Hawley died from blunt head trauma sustained in a park ride accident, according to court-related reporting. His parents sued Magic Mountain LLC and S&S Worldwide Inc., which supplied replacement coaster trains.
The Hawley lawsuit reached a settlement this week, just as national attention returned to X2 because of the two July injuries. Court filings cited by local news organizations said agreements had been reached with both Magic Mountain and S&S Worldwide, eliminating a trial that had been scheduled to begin Sept. 8. The settlement terms were not disclosed. S&S maintained in court documents that its coaster trains operated as designed and that Magic Mountain was responsible for maintaining the attraction. A settlement does not by itself establish fault.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health oversees passenger safety for permanent amusement rides in the state. Local reporting said Cal/OSHA is conducting an independent safety investigation connected to the more recent X2 incident. The agency had not publicly released findings explaining the cause of the injuries or said when its review would be finished. Its broader duties include inspecting and regulating amusement rides, elevators and tramways for passenger safety.
Questions also remain about why X2 continued operating between Guillen’s July 5 injury and Greer-Wilkinson’s ride six days later. CNN reported that Guillen was still hospitalized when Greer-Wilkinson boarded the coaster. The available public record does not establish what information Six Flags had received about Guillen’s medical diagnosis during that period or when park officials learned doctors believed her injury was connected to the forces experienced on X2.
For now, X2 remains unavailable to visitors while the state investigation continues. Six Flags lists the attraction as closed but has not publicly announced whether the shutdown will be permanent or when, if ever, the coaster will return to service. The findings of California safety regulators are still pending.
Author note: Last updated August 28, 2026.