World-famous Six Flags thrill ride shuts down as report unearths catastrophic brain bleeds

A marquee roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain has been tied to two deaths and more than a dozen serious brain injuries over nearly two decades, and it's been shut down since July after two riders suffered catastrophic brain bleeds, a CNN investigation has found.

The ride, X2 in Valencia, California, is a first-of-its-kind coaster whose seats spin a full 360 degrees as trains hit nearly 80 mph. Six Flags has billed it as a thrill for the "ultimate daredevil." CNN's review of medical records, depositions and legal filings found riders were left disabled, dropped into comas, and even two who died.

Christopher Hawley, a healthy 22-year-old college graduate, collapsed after riding in 2022 and died within 10 hours. A neurosurgeon likened his injuries to "shaken baby syndrome." Internal park records showed at least 70 head and neck injury complaints from X2 riders in the three years before his death, an expert who reviewed them said. His family's lawsuit settled Wednesday.

The two July injuries came within a week of each other. Pamela Guillen, 40, needed part of her skull removed after riding with her daughter.

"You go in as yourself, and then when you come back, you're a medical emergency," she told CNN.

Six days later, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson lost consciousness after her ride and remains in a coma.

Six Flags closed X2 on July 12 but hasn't explained why. In court, its attorneys have argued a sign warns of "inherent risks" and that the forces can't hurt a "normal" rider. State regulators have said their inspection is ongoing.

"It's got to stop," said Greer-Wilkinson's father, Joshua Wilkinson.