{
  "id": 3760852,
  "title": "Six Flags X2 closed after 2 women undergo emergency brain surgery: What we know",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/six-flags-x2-closed-after-2-women-undergo-emergency-brain-surgery",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-27T15:02:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times - World News",
    "slug": "hindustan-times-world-news",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/six-flags-x2-closed-after-2-women-undergo-emergency-brain-surgery-what-we-know-101787842502241.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two women required emergency brain surgery within six days of riding Six Flags Magic Mountain's X2 roller coaster. This has sparked concerns over the ride's safety. X2 has been closed since July 12. Six Flags has not disclosed the reason for the closure, only stating that the ride remains closed. California regulators are still inspecting the ride, with no timeline announced for completion or potential reopening. X2 is one of Six Flags Magic Mountain's most popular roller coasters. It features seats that rotate 360 degrees while the train travels at speeds nearing 80 mph. Over two decades, more than a dozen serious injuries and hospitalizations have been linked to X2, some resulting in permanent disabilities or comas. Two individuals have died due to injuries sustained on the ride. One death occurred in 2010 and another in 2022. Experts generally consider severe brain injuries from roller coasters to be rare. However, three neurosurgeons who treated the injured women in July believe the women suffered severe brain injuries due to a rapid acceleration and deceleration event on X2. In a separate incident in 2022, a 22-year-old man named Christopher Hawley died after riding X2. He experienced severe bleeding in his brain during emergency surgery. California officials ordered X2 to close for an inspection following Hawley's death, which was reinstated a few days later. Ride safety expert Brian Avery, from the University of Florida, calls the repeated traumatic brain injuries on X2 a \"clear safety signal.\" He believes this pattern warrants a comprehensive review of the attraction. The latest incidents occurred in July 2026, with two women sustaining severe brain injuries after riding X2 just six days apart. The first woman, Pamela Guillen from Hawaii, required emergency surgery after repeatedly hitting her head against the ride's headrest. She suffered a severe subdural hematoma and brain compression. Six days later, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, a 25-year-old resident of Los Angeles, also lost consciousness after riding X2 and needed emergency brain surgery. Both women suffered severe traumatic brain injuries. Six Flags closed X2 on the evening of July 12, nearly a day after Greer-Wilkinson's injury. The company has not yet explained the cause of the closure or provided a timeline for reopening. The ongoing California inspection is expected to shed more light on the safety of the ride. The key question now is whether X2's design, operation, or maintenance played a role in the recent injuries.",
  "summary": "Six Flags X2 remains closed after two women needed emergency brain surgery within six days. Here’s what we know about the ride’s injury history and safety.",
  "key_points": [
    "Two women required emergency brain surgery after riding Six Flags X2 roller coaster.",
    "Ride closed since July 12, awaiting California inspection and reopening timeline.",
    "Experts believe rapid acceleration/deceleration caused severe brain injuries."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}