More than 100 riders now allege brain injuries from Six Flags roller coaster following CNN investigation

By Blake Ellis, Melanie Hicken, Kyung Lah, CNN

(CNN) — More than 100 people say they suffered brain injuries from a Six Flags roller coaster in the last two years alone, following a CNN investigation last month that linked the world-famous ride to life-altering injuries and deaths.

Six Flags “has been willingly gambling with people’s lives… No ride like that should be allowed to exist,” civil attorney Christopher Bulone said at a news conference Tuesday, announcing the filing of three lawsuits against the amusement company this week.

X2 has long been the marquee attraction at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California, drawing thrill-seekers from around the world with its rotating seats, near-vertical drops and unpredictable movements.

Allegations that the roller coaster has injured riders date back more than a decade but had been largely kept under wraps until CNN’s investigation last month documenting more than a dozen reports of serious injuries and hospitalizations associated with the ride, including at least two deaths. Most recently, two women ended up in the same Santa Clarita emergency room after riding X2 just six days apart in July.

Attorneys said Tuesday that in the wake of CNN’s reporting, they now represent more than 100 clients who allege brain injuries of varying severity sustained after riding X2 in the last two years. Attorneys added they heard from hundreds of other riders who were either ineligible to sue due to the statute of limitations, had injuries that were not brain-related or did not have proof of medical treatment. CNN was not able to independently verify the claims of riders who recently came forward.

Two of the lawsuits filed Monday detailed the accounts of riders featured in CNN’s investigation. They allege Six Flags officials had ample notice of the alleged dangers of the ride and never should have allowed it to keep running.

Those riders—26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson and 40-year-old Pamela Guillen–both fell unconscious after getting off the roller coaster and underwent emergency brain surgery for severe traumatic brain injuries. Surgeons determined their injuries were caused by “a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride,” according to an email reviewed by CNN.

Guillen previously recounted to CNN how she was forced to learn how to talk and walk again and says she battles terrible headaches and brain fog and needs medication to prevent seizures.

Greer-Wilkinson remains in a coma as her parents hold onto hope that she will someday wake up.

In a third suit filed Monday, Los Angeles attorney Michael Wilk alleged he suffered massive brain bleeding that required multiple brain surgeries after riding X2 in February.

In an interview with CNN, Wilk said he has been left disabled by his injuries, battling severe headaches, memory loss and brain fog and unable to practice law.

“My brain has difficulty processing the words, and so unless it’s extraordinarily clear and loud, my brain gets the word wrong. I think I miss about half the conversations I’m in,” he said. “I truly hope that by coming forward, changes will be made.”

Six Flags declined to respond to the new allegations about X2, saying it does not comment on pending litigation. The theme park operator previously declined to answer detailed questions from CNN and said the only information it is sharing is that “the ride remains closed at this time.”

Attorneys for the theme park have defended the roller coaster in court when sued by riders or their families over injuries, arguing that a sign warns passengers that “there are inherent risks in the participation in or on any amusement ride or attraction.” They have also said X2 is regularly tested and that the physical forces riders experience are not strong enough to create a traumatic brain injury for a “normal” rider using it “as instructed.”

Also this week, attorney Timothy Loranger — whose law firm represented the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley who died from a traumatic brain injury after riding X2 four years ago — told CNN his firm has been retained by new clients alleging harm from the roller coaster ranging from serious concussions to brain bleeds. These clients include the family of a young man who attorneys say died after riding X2 in late 2025, the latest in at least three deaths allegedly linked to the ride.

What makes X2 different from other roller coasters is its 4th-dimensional quality — meaning its seats are rotating 360 degrees around the track as trains reach speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour for roughly two minutes.

Yet despite years of warnings from the park’s visitors, attorneys and medical experts about the perils of riding X2, officials at the theme park – located in Valencia, California – and state regulators allowed the attraction to continue operating until this summer.

Six Flags closed the roller coaster the evening of July 12, according to a spokesperson. This was nearly a full day after the latest injury there, and park officials have remained silent about what necessitated the closure.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which oversees amusement park ride operations, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment about the new allegations. Previously, officials would not respond to questions about the history of brain injuries allegedly associated with X2 and did not say how it has deemed it safe to reopen after past incidents. Officials would only say an inspection remains ongoing.

Attorney Gary Dordick, another lawyer representing the more than 100 new clients, said Tuesday many of the alleged victims said they reported their injuries to Six Flags, but it was unclear how many of the injuries were then reported to the state.

“Magic Mountain,” he said, “has known about the dangers of this ride for years.”

CNN’s Dugald McConnell contributed to this report.

Do you have information to share about a Six Flags theme park or ride? Email us at melanie.hicken@cnn.com or blake.ellis@cnn.com.

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