Six Flags putting the brakes on monster rollercoaster after a series of injuries

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California has temporarily halted the popular steel "4D" coaster experience, X2, following a series of life-threatening injuries that have reignited safety concerns surrounding the ride. According to a recent CNN report, an investigation revealed two separate cases of riders requiring emergency surgery for brain hemorrhages, one of which resulted in the rider being placed in a coma.

The injuries, experts believe, were caused by the coaster's rapid acceleration and deceleration, which accelerated at a speed of 76 mph and sent riders through a skydive, backflip, two "raven turns," and a twisting front flip. Over a period of three years, from 2019 to 2022, X2 has reportedly been responsible for more than a dozen hospitalizations, two of which resulted in fatalities.

Despite Six Flags' claim that the ride's safety testing meets industry standards, and that the G-force of 4Gs is not sufficient to threaten riders' internal wiring if used as instructed, the park has closed X2 since July 12. The park's legal team asserts that negligence was at the root of one injury, but they have offered to provide the rider currently in a coma and her family a free meal from McDonald's.